It Reminds Me Of You
by white-lotus02
Summary: Chat Noir is head-over-heels in love with Ladybug, but she is unable to return his feelings. Not understanding the reason why, Chat is left heartbroken. When an Akuma battle causes him to lose his memories—along with other charming aspects of his personality—Ladybug is at a loss. With Chat not himself she starts to realize she may have lost more than she thought.
1. Chapter 1: Adrien

**A/N: Hey guys! I haven't been on in a while but I recently watched Miraculous Ladybug and I can't get over it! I am obsessed with the characters and I am going to die if season 2 doesn't come out soon. Anyway, I had this story idea and I decided to share it, I don't know if it's any good, but oh well. There is a possibility of spoilers, but if you're caught up in the fandom then you should be fine. I personally think all the ships in the love square are adorable, and I can't really pick a favorite, I kind of just consider them all basically the same thing. But technically, all of them will make an appearance at least once in my story.**

 **Sorry if the writing is bad but hopefully you will read all the way through. I'll try to update regularly. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think!**

 **{credit to the cover artist}**

 **I do NOT own Miraculous Ladybug.**

 **-It Reminds Me Of You-**

 **Chapter I: Adrien**

Never in his entire life had Chat Noir's heart ever beat this fast. He paced the rooftop anxiously, waiting for Ladybug to make an appearance. He held a rose between shaking fingers, it was as bright and beautiful as the girl he hoped to give it to. Chat had waited long enough to tell her how he felt, and he decided tonight was the night to finally let the cat out of the bag. He only prayed that Ladybug came before the sun disappeared, along with his courage.

"Chat," her voice made him jump. "Ready to go on patrol?"

"Of course, M'lady," he bowed low, concealing the rose behind his back as he stood. He looked up into her eyes, had they always sparkled like that? He took a deep breath. "But first, there is something that I have to tell you."

"If it's a cat joke—"

"It's not," he said quickly, "It is much more important." Ladybug gave a slight frown, then she sighed.

"Okay, what do you need to tell me?" Again, Chat took a deep breath, gathered his courage, and handed her the rose.

"It's for you."

"Oh, Chat—"

"That's not what I had to tell you," he said, "What I wanted to tell you was…was that you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met. I would do anything for you, M'lady. You're really special to me, like, _really_ special, I hope you know that. You know, I've never felt this way about anyone before, and, um, and I just thought that I should tell you… because I, well, I can't keep it to myself anymore. And, um…I love you. I'm in love with you, M'lady." Ladybug held the rose tightly to her chest. She didn't speak for a long while, then finally she touched the rose with the tips of her fingers and frowned slightly.

"Oh, Chat," her voice was soft, "Chat, I-I can't. I'm already in love with someone else. Oh, Chat, I'm so, so sorry. You're really special to me too, just…not in that particular way. I wouldn't trade you for any other partner in the world, I swear, but I… I just can't. Wow, um, now I really wish you would have told me a cat joke instead." She laughed sadly. Chat could hear his heart shatter, and he thought maybe she could to.

"It's fine," he lied through a smile. "I just thought I'd tell you. Anyway, who ever you are in love with, he's really lucky to hold the heart of such a _purr_ -fect girl."

"Chat," she smiled, "I'm so lucky to have a partner like you. Now, let's get to patrol, okay?" He nodded followed after her.

"I must be the unluckiest black cat in the whole world," he whispered to himself.

The fact that Ladybug couldn't return his feelings wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was that even though she didn't love him back, he still loved her with all the pieces of his broken heart. It's not like he could just forget about her now that he knew he didn't have a chance. In fact, that made him want to hang on even tighter. The realization that they could never be together only made her all the more beautiful to him, it made his heart long for her that much more. And

that was what hurt the most. Nothing would change, it was relieving, and heartbreaking, all at the same time.

Chat looked up and swallowed his sadness. Following Ladybug across the rooftops today held a different sort of feeling, one that Chat had never really felt before. He couldn't quite place a word on it, but he knew he didn't like it. It made him feel _empty_. Like he was alone in a crowd of people.

"Chat," Ladybug stopped. "Are you okay? You seem distracted."

"Yeah, I'm _feline_ great!" He forced a smile.

"Is it about what happened earlier? Chat I—"

"It's not that," he lied. "I just, um, I'm worrying about a big test I have tomorrow. Gotta study. Mind if I take off now?"

"No, I haven't seen anything suspicious tonight anyway," she placed her hands in her hips in that cute way that she did and turned her head to look at the town. "I should probably bug out too. It's getting late."

"Goodnight, M'lady." Chat didn't wait for an answer.

Once he made it to his house, he climbed through the window and transformed back into Adrien. Then he threw himself onto his bed and laid on his stomach. He pulled his arms to his chest and closed his eyes, taking a long, deep breath in.

Adrien had never been in love before, but if this is what it felt like, he wasn't sure he wanted to be in love. If broken hearts were all that came out of it, then he would prefer to live without it. He figured that maybe if he didn't see Ladybug for a while, his longing to be her her would go away. But he was sorely mistaken. In fact, it seemed that the further you were from what you loved, the more you loved it.

"I'm so tired," Plagg groaned from across the room.

"There's cheese on my desk, Plagg. Have at it." Adrien sighed.

The Kwami rushed over to the desk and devoured the camembert with one bite. Then he floated over and set himself on Adrien's pillow. "What's wrong? You seem really sad."

"Yeah well that tends to happen when you have a broken heart," Adrien said.

"Your heart can't be broken, or else you'd be—"

"It's a figure of speech, Plagg," he sighed. "And it hurts a lot more than if my heart had actually stopped."

"Want some cheese to make it better?"

"I think I'll manage without."

Adrien pushed his head further into his pillow. He didn't feel like crying, he was too sad to cry. He couldn't believe what an idiot he'd been, it was his own fault that his heart got broken. What did he expect when he let it out of its cage? He listened to his breathing, he listened to Plagg whine some more, and then, finally, he fell asleep. His dream wasn't sweet, he wasn't even sure if he had a dream, but when he woke up the night was in full bloom.

He swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat lost in thought for a moment. His mind raced through the events that had transpired earlier in the day. His heart ached with every memory. He wished it would just go away, he wished he could just forget. Adrien shook his head, then stood.

"Plagg?"

"Not now, too tired to talk."

"Plagg," Adrien said again, "How do you heal a broken heart?"

"I don't know. Sleep always does the trick for me. Tomorrow you will feel better, so now is the time to sleep," he could hear Plagg groan in exhaustion. Adrien shook his head, that wasn't exactly the advice he had been looking for.

He walked across his room and stood by the window. Usually, on nights that he had trouble sleeping, he would go on patrol as Chat Noir, but tonight he didn't really feel like being a superhero. Tonight, he was content just looking at the stars.

Adrien could feel tears sting at the corners of his eyes. Looking at the stars made him feel more lonely than he thought humanly possible. They were millions of light years away from each other, and yet, that was closer than he felt to Ladybug. He covered his face with his hands and shook his head. He couldn't believe he had been so stupid. He may very well have ruined their partnership with his inability to conceal his own selfish feelings.

He had hoped that it would bring them closer together, but he might have just ended up tearing a bigger wedge between them. He sighed and leaned his back against the window. Ladybug was the most amazing person he had ever met, she was everything he had ever wanted, everything he had ever dreamed of. And she was not his.

She was not his, Adrien realized.

He could chase after her as much as he wanted, but she was never his, and she never would be. Ladybug was free, and flying, and maybe that's what made her so beautiful, he couldn't drag her down. Black cats were unlucky, and something like a Ladybug could never love one. But still, his heart clung onto the tiny idea of hope that maybe one day she would love him back. If he told her who he really was, would that help to close the gap between them? The thought had crossed his mind more than once, but in the end, he always left things as they were.

Before Adrien realized it, night had turned into day, and the moon had turned into the sun. Natalie knocked lightly on his door before opening it.

"Adrien, you're awake?"

"Yeah," he rubbed his eyes, "I had trouble sleeping."

Adrien got dressed and left for school like every other day—though, he skipped breakfast despite Natalie's warnings. His stomach twisted in pain, but he dismissed it as a mix of anxiety and loss of sleep. His heart didn't hurt as much this morning as it did last night, in fact, he couldn't really feel anything at all. He figured things would get better when he got to school. Plagg shifted inside Adrien's shirt.

"Hey, what about my Camembert?"

"I'll give it to you when we get to school, now shush."

"Why not nowww?" Plagg whined.

"Plagg!"

"Alright, alright. Gosh, I'll wait till school. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Adrien rolled his eyes.

Nino was waiting for him when he arrived at school. Adrien listened to his friend go on about Alya and what an awesome time they had yesterday. He nodded along absently, his mind on different things. Chloé called his name from somewhere, but he ignored her, he really wasn't in the mood to be around her right now. He realized this was becoming a reoccurring feeling. He didn't know who he needed right now, but for some reason he found himself wishing his mom was here.

"Dude, you okay?"

"What?"

"You seem really out of it," Nino opened the door to the classroom, "You wanna talk about it?"

"No, I'm fine," Adrien said. "Just really tired is all." Nino didn't seem to buy his story but let it go for the time being.

Adrien sat in his seat and waited for class to start. He spun his pencil absently over his fingers and smiled at Marinette as she walked in the door. Her cheeks flushed furiously as she tried to muster a smile back. Then she tripped and fell into her seat, throwing her backpack into the air. Adrien laughed, he thought it was so cute when she got flustered.

He leaned down and picked up her bag. "I think you dropped this."

"Th-that's my backpack, I mean, of course it's mine, you already that knew. I mean! Uh, th-thanks." Marinette flushed even harder as she took the bag back from him.

"Dude, she's got a mad crush on you," Nino whispered. Adrien shook his head.

"No, I mean…no."

"She totally does! I mean seriously, the girl can't even get a full sentence out when she's around you. She's totally crushing on you," his friend shot a glance toward Alya who smiled mischievously. Adrien shook his head, suppressing the urge to smile. Nino leaned over and whispered something to Alya who laughed and whispered something back. When he thought about it, he wouldn't mind if Marinette did have a crush on him. In fact, maybe it would help him get over Ladybug.

Class started and Adrien's stomach did flips. He wrapped his arms around his torso and tried to focus on the lesson. His brain wouldn't process anything that was being said, it was like everyone was speaking another language. Adrien bit his bottom lip and crossed his legs, hoping to subside the pain that only grew. After about thirty minutes of waiting, he stood abruptly.

"I-I think I need to go to the nurse."

"Adrien…?"

He stumbled out of his seat and down to the nurse's office. Adrien wasn't a particularly big fan of going to the nurse, he preferred to handle things himself, but today he decided to make an exception. The nurse's office was just a small room that was a little too warm, and it made him feel overly claustrophobic. The nurse set a glass of water beside him. She took his temperature and then left, shutting the door behind her. He rested his arm over his eyes to block out the light. He couldn't believe he had gotten sick, maybe, he thought, it was a side effect of a broken heart.

A racket erupted from outside, Adrien could only guess it was an Akuma attack. He wasn't exactly sure why, but his heart leapt at the thought of seeing Ladybug again. The feeling quickly faded when he was reminded of the events of yesterday. He groaned and tried to sit up.

"Maybe we should just sit this one out," Plagg said, "You are sick after all…"

"Glad you're so concerned with my health," Adrien said as he stood. "Plagg, claws out!"

Chat rushed outside. Paris was in complete chaos, cars were overturned, lamp posts were bent and askew through the street, and people were running about in panic. He looked around for Ladybug, his finger hovering over the button to call her. He decided against it as screams came from down the street.

He got there just in time to save a little girl from falling pieces of rubble. He returned her safely to her parents and looked back at the villain that stood atop a building.

"I am Memory," the villain announced, "I am tired of everyone always forgetting who I am. They are always forgetting about me and the promises they made to me. I think it's time that everyone else know how it feels! I will take your most precious memories, and the memories of your loved ones. Then I will rewrite them to make sure no one ever forgets about me. I'll steal the memories of the entire world if I must! All of Paris will finally know what it It like to be forgotten." Chat clenched his fist.

"Well, this is quite a _purr_ -oblem."

"Chat Noir, this is no time for jokes," Ladybug was at his side, "We need a plan. C'mon, follow me." He melted at the sound of her voice. The heartache that had subsided earlier was now returned at twice the power. He was still, most definitely, in love with her.

They chased after Memory and toward the Eiffel Tower. Chat was even further distracted from the task at hand as Ladybug grabbed his arm and pulled him to cover. Being near her only made his feelings strengthen. She poked her head around the corner and then turned back to him. The only thing he could understand from her explanation was that she thought the Akuma was in Memory's bracelet. Chat nodded.

"Chat? Chat, did you hear me?" Ladybug frowned.

"What?"

"The plan."

"Yeah, yeah I know. Distract him, and get the bracelet so you can purify the Akuma."

"And—" she leaned in, making his heart rate increase tenfold, "—don't get hit."

"Don't…don't get hit," he repeated. He flung himself up the side of the tower.

Memory stood at the top, aiming his bracelet at citizens, and with a burst of light he cursed them with amnesia. Chat whistled, calling attention to himself and away from Ladybug as she made her descent toward the Akuma. The villain whirled and shot a laser in shock. Chat dodged easily, he swung his leg and knocked Memory off his feet. The villain fumbled slightly, then he grabbed Chat's leg and pulled him to the ground.

Memory reached for the ring, Chat scrambled back quickly and got to his feet. His head spun from hitting the ground so hard. The villain scoffed.

"Chat Noir," he said, "Before I wipe your memory, you have something I want. Give me your miraculous."

"I'm only gonna say this once, so try and remember it," Chat leaned on his baton, "There's no way I'm just handing my ring over. If you want my miraculous, you're gonna have to take it from me." Memory sneered and lunged at him. Chat jumped back quickly, lost his balance for a moment, and swung onto the side of the tower. _M'lady, I hope that was enough time._

Ladybug was only inches from Memory when he turned and faced her. The two instantly locked in battle, a mirage of punches and whirl of kicks flew between them. Chat watched her in awe. Ladybug was amazing, he thought to himself. He couldn't think of a better word to describe it. It was simply amazing, _she_ was amazing.

She looked more beautiful right now than she had any other time he had been lucky enough to look upon her. He found himself smiling even as his heart broke further. Chat wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything in his entire life. He wanted to hug her and never let go, he wanted to sit with her and watch time pass. He wanted to be hers, forever. But, all he would ever be was her partner. And lately, if that was all he was going to be to her, Chat found himself wishing he could forget the feelings he had for her.

"Chat! Snap out of it and help me!" She called, fending off punches from Memory. He shook off his daydream and leapt to her side.

The villain was pushed back a few feet, giving Ladybug a small window of time to catch her breath. Chat charged at Memory just as the bracelet sent a laser of amnesia. He was hit square in the chest, and for a moment he stood frozen. When Chat finally realized what had happened, he realized he didn't feel all that different. Seizing the chance, he grabbed Memory's Akuma and threw it toward Ladybug. His head spun as he forgot where he was for a moment, but the feeling passed quickly.

"No more evil doing for you little Akuma," Ladybug smiled, "Bye bye, butterfly."

Everything returned to normal, and the two heroes climbed down from the tower. Ladybug ran to him and grabbed his arm.

"Are you alright? You got hit…"

"Of course, M'lady," he smiled, "I'm fine."

"Good," she sighed in relief.

Ladybug held out her fist and smiled. Chat did nothing at first, he just looked at her confused. She lowered her arm and looked at him with hurt and concern. What was it she wanted him to do?

He couldn't remember.

. . .


	2. Chapter 2: Marinette

**Chapter II: Marinette**

She stared at Chat and lowered her arm.

"Fist bump?" She asked, praying that he was just kidding around with her. "Chat, are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that you…" her earrings blinked and she lost her thought, "Oh, gotta bug out before I change back. See you later, Chat." She gave him one last glance before swinging off on her yoyo. She knew something was up with him, he had been acting strange all day, she would have to wait and do some investigating later.

Marinette made it to her room just in time to change back. She was exhausted. Not only was she now worried about Chat, but she had embarrassed herself in front of Adrien. Her face flushed just at the thought. He had smiled at her, that was her chance, and she completely blew it. Adrien would never like her now.

"Marinette," Tikki spoke, "You look worried. Is everything alright?"

"I totally embarrassed myself in front of Adrien today! That was my only chance, what if he never likes me now? What if he thinks I have some kind of disease that keeps me from walking straight? What if he thinks I don't know how to speak? Oh gosh, Tikki…"

"Calm down, Marinette, I'm sure he doesn't think that. You'll get another chance."

"Maybe," she sighed. "And what was up with Chat Noir today? He was acting so weird."

"You did break his heart."

"You really think that's what it was?" Marinette looked down. "I didn't think it was that big of a deal…"

It was true, she had broken his heart. But she had only told him the truth, she wasn't unreasonable. And he had said everything was alright. It was Chat Noir, after all, she was sure that he would move on quickly. Besides, he didn't even know the real her, he had fallen in love with a mask. He had fallen in love with the girl she pretends to be while shielded by the actions of a superhero. The disappointment he would feel by knowing the truth would be worse than any broken heart. He had fallen in love with someone who was too much of a coward to even come out from behind her mask. And love like that could never last.

Chat was one of her best friends, she didn't want to lose him to something as petty as love. Marinette knew she would have to keep an eye on him, and maybe she owed him an apology too.

"Marinette," her mother called from downstairs, "I need you to watch the bakery while your father and I run out to get some things."

"Okay, I'll be right down."

Being in charge of the bakery wasn't her favorite thing to do, and it was most definitely not what she wanted it to be doing right now. The bakery was empty other than a few customers that roamed about, and Marinette was sure that she really didn't need to be watching it. Alya had gone out to the movies with Nino, so she wouldn't be able to keep her company. Instead, in the company of pastries, Marinette flipped through some of the older fashion magazines to see if there were any noteworthy designs to inspire her. But she couldn't bring herself to look at anything that Adrien wasn't wearing, everything he was in looked stunning. She hoped that maybe one day she could try some of her designs out on him.

The bell rang as the door opened, Marinette didn't raise her head until someone stepped up to the counter.

"What can I help you with?" She asked out of habit.

"Well," the voice was familiar, "My father is leaving for a business trip tomorrow and I was hoping to surprise him with something at dinner tonight. Any suggestions?"

"A-Adrien!" Marinette shrieked with joy, unable to compose herself quick enough. "Pastries? For my father, or, I mean, you-your father?"

"Yeah," he smiled, "I was hoping to get something special before he leaves. I had a quiche your dad made one time, it was great—I don't know if you remember—and so I thought, maybe, my dad would like something from here too."

"I-I remember," she blushed. "Um, Adrien! I can make you something, I mean, my dad taught me how to make the quiche, if you want I can…"

"Really? That would be great!" Enthusiasm radiated off him. "Here, I'll give you my number, you can text me when it's done. Or, I guess you could just drop it at my house. Which is easier?" Her brain officially stopped working. Was she about to get Adrien's number? How did you speak again? What was language? _C'mon brain! This is not the time to space out!_ Marinette blinked and tried to regain the ability to speak, her hands twitching at her side.

"N-number…" that was about all she could manage. Adrien's phone rang and he bit his bottom lip.

"Oh, crap!" He set his number on the counter and waved goodbye, "I forgot, I have a huge photo shoot in ten minutes. Just text me when you're finished with the pie and I can come pick it up. Thanks again, Marinette. It means a lot to me." He smiled one last time and the door shut behind him. Then he was gone.

Marinette's heart leapt into her throat. She couldn't believe she had gotten Adrien's number! He had come to her for a favor, he had asked her to help him, he had given his number to _her_ , and that was just about all Marinette had ever wanted in the whole world. She squeezed the piece of paper in between her fingers, afraid that if she let go it would turn out to be just a dream. The redness of her cheeks stayed even while she texted Alya, and lingered long even after that.

She could not bring herself to stand still for the remainder of the time she had to watch the bakery. Her foot tapped nervously behind the counter and she stuttered to just about every customer. Her mind was elsewhere. Filled with fantasies and dreams, that she now knew had a sliver of hope to come true. Her fingers twitched with anticipation, and longed for the moment when they could text him. How long will it be? She wondered. _I should probably start making the quiche now. Oh no! What if I screw it up and Adrien hates me forever?_ She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

It was just like making any other quiche, she told herself, for any other customer. Except this customer was Adrien Agreste, and this quiche had to be the picture of perfection and taste like heaven had fallen to earth, Marinette knew. She would have to pour her heart and soul into it, and make it the best one she had ever made. She knew. She knew that she could not mess up this opportunity. Determination filled her and she stood up a little straighter.

"I will do this," she said to no one in particular. "I am not going to disappoint Adrien, I'm going to do this!"

"Marinette," Tikki whispered, "You had better get started on that. You don't know how long it will take, and you must prepare for your, you know, clumsiness…" Marinette took a sharp breath in.

"You're right! This quiche of perfection will probably take forever to make. And who knows how many times I'll mess up. I have to get started right away!" She watched the last customer leave and then turned the sign to closed. "I'm sure Mom and Dad won't mind if I close up a little bit early." Granted, it was a little bit before a bit early to close up, but business was slow this evening and she had made a promise to Adrien. A very important promise, she might add.

She wiped down the counter and made sure the door to the bakery was locked, then she headed up to her kitchen. Marinette had just laid out all of the ingredients she needed when her phone rang beside her.

"Alya?"

" _Girl! Tell me everything,_ " her friends voice shrieked through the phone. " _Do you actually have his number? How did you get it! C'mon spill the details, Marinette. Don't keep me in the dark!_ "

"He came to ask me for a favor, can you believe that?" The words poured from her mouth like they belonged there. Like her whole life had lead up to this one moment when she could finally say she had Adrien's number. The only thing that could have possibly made this better was if he had handed her a ring and a kiss. "I'm making him a quiche, and I'm supposed to text him when it's done, and he'll come to pick it up! I can't believe it! Adrien…and me…oh, Alya, I might need some help, to make sure it's perfect. Would you…"

" _Of course, girl! I'll be right there._ " Alya hung up the phone. Marinette let out another cry of excitement.

She stared blankly at the ingredients that were spread across her kitchen counter. Her mind raced, searching for the steps her dad had told her before. Marinette paced nervously as she got the pan out and started to make the dough, every step she finished was a step closer to the perfect quiche, and a step closer to Adrien. When the dough was done, she placed the bottom of the crust neatly into the pan and started on the filling. She wasn't sure it would taste exactly like her dad's did, but she had seen him make it enough times that she felt confident in her abilities.

Before long, the doorbell rang and Marinette rushed to greet her friend.

"Alya! Hurry and come, it's almost done, and then I need you to taste test."

"But don't you need the whole thing to give to Adrien?" Alya stepped in and took off her shoes. Marinette could barely contain her growing excitement as she spilled all the details of her master plan to Alya.

"Well I was thinking that I'd cut up the quiche and place it in a cute design on the plate," she smiled widely, "That way I can taste test, and make it look cute and professional for Adrien! What do you think? Think it'll work?"

"Sounds good to me, girl," Alya gave her a thumbs up.

Marinette ran ragged around the kitchen, grabbing plates and serving knives to cut the quiche. She cut a thin slice for her and Alya to taste test, then set the rest on a plate in the shape of a flower. With the pieces centered around the middle she placed a note between them. Alya updated her blog while she waited for Marinette to calm down. With so much going on, Marinette wasn't exactly paying attention to her surroundings, and just as Tikki had warned, her clumsiness got the better of her.

There were two crashes, one followed by the other. The first, was when Mari bumped into Alya, her friend jumped out of shock and knocked over the taste testing plate. Which would have been fine, had Marinette not responded the way she did. The second, was when Marinette knocked over the plate made for Adrien, sending both plates to the ground with a shattering clang. She was almost brought to tears as she slowly brought her head up to look at Alya.

"Marinette…"

"Oh Alya!" She cried, "What am I going to do now? I've totally ruined the quiche I made for Adrien! I'm such a klutz."

"It's okay, it's okay," Alya seemed to be muttering more to herself than to Marinette, she leaned down and started to pick up the pieces of the broken plates. "We can just make it again. You've already made it once, all the ingredients are out, I'll help you and we'll get it done. You'll see, everything will be fine. I'm sure it will go faster with the both of us anyway, and we can taste test as we go along…"

"Alya." Marinette could feel a tear run down her cheek. "It's ruined…"

"Please, Marinette. Just try?"

Her friend looked up at her. Alya's eyes seemed more vibrant than usual, she had seen this look plenty of times from someone else. _She has baby doll eyes_ , Marinette thought with a smile, _just my luck, huh_. She nodded affirmatively and helped Alya with the broken plates. A smile rested on her face as Alya turned and gave her a strange look.

"What are you smiling for?" Alya laughed.

"I was just thinking that you and Manon both have baby doll eyes," Marinette said. "And you know I can't resist the baby doll eyes."

"It's a gift," Alya continued to laugh.

Alya was right. It did go much faster the second time, and with double the hands too. The quiche was made again and plated just as beautifully. Marinette made a new card and placed it at the center of the masterpiece.

"Like heaven fallen to earth," she said, it was more of a prayer than a statement really.

"Okay, well I should probably be going," Alya looked at the time, "My parents want me home in time for dinner, and before dark too. See ya! Good luck, tell me all about it tomorrow, promise?"

"Promise."

It was almost seven thirty by the time Marinette was out the door. She had texted Adrien and received no reply, so she decided to go deliver the quiche personally to his front door. To make it in time, she would have to do it as Ladybug for most of the trip, but she'd make sure to give it to him as Marinette. After all, that was the whole reason she had gone through all of this in the first place.

The night air was cool, and jumping from roof to roof was more exhilarating than usual, her heart pounded just a little faster. She held the box tight to her chest, under no circumstances was she going to drop it, not when she had already come this far. Not when she was so close she could practically taste it. A familiar shadow made an appearance as she passed by the buildings, and she slowed her pace. The figure caught her with ease and gave a flirtatious bow.

"Ladybug," Chat said. "May I ask what you are going out so late?"

"I could ask you the same thing," she said. Remembering the apology she owed him, Ladybug corrected herself. "I am delivering something to a fr-friend of mine. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Oh, what is it?" He kept his distance, which was odd, and he had yet to make a cat pun. He did not kiss her hand. And his tone was as if he regarded her as a stranger. If she hadn't already known it before, now she knew something was up with him. Most definitely something was up with him, she just couldn't place a finger on it yet. Was it just aftermath from the battle with Memory? Or was it more than that? She could not say.

"It's a pastry," she said proudly, "I made it myself."

"Lucky him," she could feel Chats smile, even through the shadow of night. "I would love to try something sometime. One day, maybe?"

"Maybe." She said.

"Well, I have a previous engagement and must excuse myself. Goodbye, Ladybug."

"Goodbye," she whispered to herself, "Chat Noir."

She reached Adrien's house a few minutes later. Mari transformed back into herself and mustered up the courage to ring the doorbell.

" _Who is it?_ " A robotic voice spoke.

"Um, yeah, hi. I'm Marinette, I'm in Adrien's class. He stopped by my, uh, I mean, my parents bakery earlier and placed an order," she held up the quiche box, "I came to drop it off." She smiled shyly.

" _Adrien is not home at the moment. Place it in the box._ " It slid out from the wall just like it had the time she delivered his birthday present. She placed the quiche carefully into the box and jumped back as it slammed shut. There was no other sound, only the silence of the streets. She thought about waiting around for Adrien to come back, but she ended up walking toward home. Something told her she was not going to get to see Adrien tonight.

"Pleasure to talk to you too," she mumbled to herself. She threw her hands up as she walked away. "I can't believe Adrien wasn't there! Ugh… but I'll still get to ask him about it tomorrow in class, I suppose."

Marinette took the long way home, enjoying the stars and the cool breeze that brushed her face. Her mind was filled with daydreams about the conversation tomorrow. She figured that if she practiced enough, maybe she wouldn't stutter so much this time. _Who am I kidding_ , Marinette laughed at herself. She could practice for her whole life and still stutter at the sight of him. He was perfect in every way, and she…well, she wasn't. The only way she could hold a conversation with him was behind that silly mask, and he would never like her that way. Besides, she wanted him to like her, not the girl she pretended to be while behind the mask.

When she got home her parents were waiting. She explained what happened with both excitement and an apology for the plates. Then she waved goodnight and headed up to her room. Marinette threw herself on the bed, taking a long deep breath in. She hoped Adrien liked the quiche, and she hoped it tasted okay. She hoped that his father liked it, and she hoped that Adrien would come back to ask her to make him another one. She hoped a lot of things. But mostly, she hoped that tomorrow, she would be able to talk to him. Maybe this was the spark she needed to light their relationship and bring it to the next level.

"Marinette!" Tikki flew in front of her face, "You were right, something was really off with Chat Noir tonight. And I don't think it was just a broken heart."

"Right?" She sat up, "I mean he was acting totally different than usual today. Do you think it's because he got hit by Memory? I mean, he forgot to fist bump me, he didn't call me "My Lady" today when we met, he didn't kiss my hand, and he didn't tell any cat puns! Something is totally up with him. But, I turned everything back to normal, Memory's amnesia shouldn't have any effect on him anymore. I mean, that can't happen, right?" Tikki looked down.

"Actually," her eyes widened as she looked up, "He had a broken heart, and people will do anything to stop hurting, he might have wanted to forget the feelings he had. … And if Chat wished that he could forget, even subconsciously, then it's possible that the amnesia still stands. Because at that moment, his heart accepted the memories being taken from him. It's never happened before, but if Chat _wanted_ to forget, then I'm not sure your lucky charm would have sent him back to normal."

"But Chat wouldn't do that," Marinette assured herself. "He'd never wished to forget about me. He wouldn't…"

"He had a broken heart," Tikki repeated, "And broken hearts don't heal like normal wounds. Anyway, if Chat really does have amnesia, it will only get worse from here on out! He'll start to forget more than just silly nicknames and a fist bump. He might even…he might…Marinette! We need to keep an eye on Chat Noir." The kwami sounded panicked and Marinette could feel her heart race as well.

"Oh gosh, Tikki," she said. "It's all my fault! If I hadn't… oh gosh… if I hadn't said those things to Chat then…"

"Marinette calm down," Tikki sat on her shoulder. "Getting worked to won't help anyone. This is serious, but I need you to be calm or we won't be able to help anyone. We need to find Chat and figure out if that's really what's going on, if he really does amnesia or not. And if it is what we think…well, I guess we'll just have to try and get him to remember. But we need to do that as soon as possible. The longer we wait…"

"The worse he will get," Marinette finished. She knew what would happen if they waited too long. And she didn't want to lose her partner. She didn't want to lose Chat. Because Chat was…he was…a home. Home was the only word that came to mind. She felt at home with him, and she didn't want to let go of that feeling no matter what.

A sixth sense was never something Marinette considered herself to be particularly strong in. But right now, she felt like she needed to go outside. Maybe it was because her lungs craved fresh air, the air in her room had become heavy and stale. Or maybe, it was because she wanted to see the stars again. But maybe, just maybe, it was because she was hoping there would be someone out there to meet her. Marinette climbed the ladder to her balcony, lifting the hatch slowly. The stars were the first to greet her, the Moon was the next. And the third thing…

Marinette let out a breath of relief. Sure enough, there was someone there to meet her.

She looked into his green eyes and felt her heart clench as she saw them spill tears. Marinette watched him stand across her balcony, and the urge to run into his arms was almost too much to bare. _He has his own kind of baby doll eyes_. She smiled softly and walked over to him, tears spilling from both their eyes now.

"Chat."

. . .

 **A/N: Apologies for the late entry! Hopefully this chapter was good, though. Thanks for reading, it means a lot to me.**


	3. Chapter 3: Adrien

**Chapter III: Adrien**

"Princess." He tried to give her a bow but it was hard to keep his composure with tears falling freely down his cheeks. When there was but a few inches between them, she wrapped her arms around him. He collapsed toward her and sank into the warmth of the hug. It felt so nice to be comforted, and he wished he never had to let go.

"Chat, what's wrong?" She pulled back from the hug. Her eyes were red too.

"It's just…" he shook his head. "Why do people fall in love when it hurts so much?" Marinette paused for a moment.

"Because it's beautiful too," she said sadly. "Chat, I just wanted to apologize."

"For what, princess?"

"Well, I recently hurt someone because of love," she looked down. "And I didn't realize how much it hurt until now. Please, let me help you. If there is anything I can do to help you feel better, just tell me. I want to be there for you." He smiled.

"Just being yourself is all I need," he hugged her once more. "Being near you is all I need right now."

Marinette invited him inside. Chat took a seat on the floor, and looked around her room. It was so neat. Everything was placed exactly where it should be, and the only thing that seemed cluttered was her desk. He smiled. She was so perfect, and he felt so lucky that he got to be her friend. The only regret that he had was that he couldn't tell her who he was. Chat was Chat. Adrien was Adrien. And that was just the way it had to be. Though, he wished he had the courage to tell her. Maybe then, she could get to know the real him. But would she even like him that way? She always seemed so nervous around Adrien. He wondered if he had done something wrong.

He decided it was better that she just thought of him as Chat Noir for now. But he knew, that if she should ever ask for the truth, he might not have the strength to lie to her.

"Chat," Marinette sat across from him, "I brought some cookies from the bakery. And, um, if you don't mind my asking, what had you so upset earlier?" He looked down.

"Well," he tried to find the words to explain, "I had a really special dinner planned tonight with someone I care about, and I don't get to see them a lot, so this was my only chance. But, they bailed on me and I was kind of down about that. I mean they never pay attention to me and this dinner was kind of my only shot to impress them, or, you know, like spend time with them, and they totally flaked on me. And before that, something had happened with Ladybug that's got me pretty down too, so I got to thinking, well, there's no one out there who really seems to care about me. Everyone is either bailing on me, or leaving me, or crushing my heart. So, I just thought, what good am I?" Chat took a deep breath, surprised that he had managed to tell her all of that. She gave him a sad smile.

"Chat," she said, "Don't ever feel that way about yourself. There are tons of people who care about you, me included. And Ladybug isn't worth another second of your time."

"Why not?"

"Because you've never seen the real her," Marinette said. "And trust me, she's not all that great behind the mask. She's clumsy and insecure and not a hero at all. The mask is the only thing that makes her who she is and you shouldn't waste your time falling in love with something that isn't real." Chat stood up and gaped at her for a moment. Then he frowned and turned to the window.

"You're wrong," he snapped. "You are wrong!"

"Chat, you don't even know the real her," Marinette said harshly, "How can you be so sure? How can you be sure that it's true love? How do you _know_?"

"Because the mask doesn't define you!" He shouted, turning to face her. "The mask doesn't define who you are, Mari. The mask isn't all there is. That's how I know." She stood shocked for a moment. Neither of them were aware of the footsteps coming closer to them until Marinette's father was walking into the room.

"Marinette? Is something the matter," his eyes widened as he looked at Chat. "Chat Noir, is there something I can help you with? Did something happen?"

"No," Chat headed back to the roof, "I was just leaving."

"Chat wait—"

He did not wait for her to finish. He was too mad at her, how could she say something like that? Chat had always thought Marinette was better than that, he had always thought she didn't care about what was behind the mask. But now he realized that he was wrong. She wasn't the person he thought she was. And he was glad that she didn't know the truth. The mask didn't define you, it only helped you find who you really were. He wished she would understand. His princess was all he had right now, and if she couldn't accept him for who he was without the mask, then he didn't know what he would do.

Chat swung himself from roof to roof and eventually reached the Eiffel Tower. He climbed up to the top and sat on one of the railings. The night air brushed through his hair, blowing it into tangles. He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing. Taking as much air as he could into his lungs, and releasing it slowly. There was a thud beside him and he opened one eye.

"Ladybug."

"Chat," her breathing was heavy. "Are you doing okay? You seem…different, lately." He sighed.

"I'm fine," he said. "Just having a little trouble with my memory is all." She stood next to him.

"Like how?"

"It just seems like I'm missing something," Chat looked at her. "Like there's something I'm forgetting about. Does that make any sense?"

"Chat," Ladybug looked at him with a sad expression, "I don't know what's going on, but I'll do anything to try and help you." His heart ached.

"Thanks," he stood. "But I think I need to do this alone." He swung down from the edge of the tower and headed back home. Leaving Ladybug behind.

The house was dark and quiet when he got home. His father's car was gone, and the only sound he could hear was the typing of Natalie's computer as she finished organizing the schedule for the next few weeks. Adrien slid quickly into his room, hoping she hadn't noticed his delayed absence. He climbed into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. Tonight the sky was bright with the light of stars and Adrien found it hard to keep his eyes closed long enough for sleep.

A knock came on the door.

"Adrien," It was Natalie. She stepped quietly into the room. Adrien sat up in bed, still in his clothes from earlier.

"Did you need something, Natalie?"

"I know it's rather late, but you didn't eat much earlier," her voice was even, "Would you like something before you go to sleep?"

"No, I'll be fine," he turned away from her. Still, even through the darkness he could feel her eyes on him.

"Do you want anything at all? I know it's hard when your father…"

"I'd just really like to be alone right now," Adrien bit his bottom lip. He knew Natalie cared for him and was only looking out for his best interest, but right now he really didn't want to talk to her. He just wanted to be left alone.

"Okay," he could hear her open the door. "I'm going to head home now. But, if you ever need anything just let me know. I'm…I'm here for you." Then she left.

"Okay," he whispered to himself.

Adrien laid awake for a long time. His heart ache was back and he didn't feel much like sleeping. He noticed he didn't feel much like doing anything lately. Food was tasteless and made his stomach churn, sleep was too exhausting, and his heart was just about at its limit of pain that it could take. Everything he thought about doing seemed only like to make things worse. And all he really wanted was a hug. He'd go up and hug a stranger at this point, since no one else seemed eager enough to give him one.

He pushed himself out of bed and walked over to the window. He pressed his hand to the cold glass, then his forehead, and soon his whole body leaned completely on it. Adrien looked down at the ground beneath him, only a thin layer of clear glass supporting him and keeping him from falling. He started to wonder what would happen if it broke. If the glass fell away…if he fell…

Adrien shook his head and backed away from the window.

"Hey what's wrong?" Plagg flew over to him. "You seem really down lately. Would getting me some cheese help?"

"Plagg," Adrien groaned and rolled his eyes. "It's just that My Lady...and now my Princess...they're both…"

"If you ask me, you're the one who you need to worry about."

"Why?"

"Cause something's up with your powers," Plagg landed on his shoulder, "Like, something was different today. It felt really weird…"

"That's real helpful, thanks for that description, Plagg," he sat on his desk chair.

"I'm not an expert!" Plagg whined, "Excuse me for trying to help."

He had noticed something weird earlier too. Lately, when Ladybug joined him, Adrien felt his heart didn't leap like it used to. It was like, she was…a stranger. But he decided not to worry about that, and just blamed it on the broken heart and sleepless nights.

Tonight was no easier.

It was long. Adrien never really realized how long the sun was gone, until tonight, when all he did was wish it would come up. He roamed the house, dark and quiet. Natalie would be back at six thirty, but that still gave him his plenty of time to do what we he wanted. He had the house to himself more often than he'd care to admit, but he had always just followed the schedule. Tonight, though, was different.

Tonight, he didn't really feel like doing what he was told.

He walked around the house, looking over every small place and down every hallway. It looked different at night, and it made him feel like exploring. The dark shadows that loomed below the windows made the house seem much bigger than it had in the day. And Adrien felt a shiver run down his back as he realized just how alone really he was.

When his legs started to stumble through the halls, he headed back into his room. He was too awake to sleep and his hands were itching to do something. He thought about calling Nino, or even Marinette for a moment, but he decided against it. Instead, he grabbed his phone and book off one of his shelves, and sat down on the couch. Adrien had never been a huge fan of reading, but he didn't mind it. And there was nothing else he could do this early in the morning.

Time passed quickly. Unlike previous nights, he did not fall back asleep after waking up. Instead his mind was lost in his book. It was a romance story, typical boy meets girl and falls head over heals in love. Every time he skimmed the names of the characters—whether subconscious or not—he replaced the names with his and Ladybugs. And he read every word carefully, so as too not miss the slightest detail. He stopped halfway through to get ready for the day, and then went back to his book. Soon, the sun was awake.

And not long after the sun, came a knock on his door. Adrien only gave a glance as Natalie came in.

"Adrien," she said surprised, "You're awake. That's twice now that you've been up before I've come to get you…"

"I'm just not that tired," he said, his head still on the book, though he had stopped reading.

"Have you showered?" She asked.

"Done."

"Brushed your teeth? Hair?"

"Done and done," he said. Then he looked up at her. "Natalie. I just wanted to say I'm sorry, for what I said last night. I know that you were just trying to look out for me…"

"Adrien, I understand it's hard when your father is gone. But that doesn't mean that you're alone. You don't have to do everything by yourself." she gave a small smile and turned to leave. "Breakfast will be ready soon."

He watched her close the door softly behind her. Adrien set down his book and grabbed his backpack, slipping on his shoes and walking downstairs. He ate by himself at the table, Natalie by the door or in another room. He ate quickly and even dropped Camembert onto the floor for Plagg to eat. He thought about what Natalie said, about not being alone. Maybe he wasn't completely alone, but it sure did feel like he was.

He shook his head and stood. _Time for another day_.

School was rough. Adrien couldn't focus on anything, and the harder he tried, the harder his brain day dreamed. He kept waiting for something to happen, for an akuma, or for Ladybug, but nothing ever came. It was the most normal day he'd had for a long time. When class was over he headed outside and waited for the car, the day was a blur in his mind. Classes, tests, reports, they all ran together. They all gave him a headache.

"Adrien," Marinette stood beside him. "You, um, forgot your phone…" he looked at his phone in her hand.

"Oh, thanks," he managed a smile, "I've been so forgetful lately." She smiled back.

"Adrien, I was wondering, um, if you maybe… um, if you wanted to…" he flinched as the car horn beeped at him. He rushed towards the car and waved goodbye to her.

"Gotta go, sorry," he turned back to her just as he slid into his seat, "That quiche you made was really good. I owe you one." As he drove away, he stole one last glance at her—she was blushing and her mouth hung wide open. He smiled. _She's adorable_.

Once he was home, Adrien collapsed onto his bed. The lack of sleep was finally catching up with him. His head pounded and his stomach flipped. Maybe it was the potential fever setting in, but he couldn't take his mind off of Marinette. He wanted to hold her. He wanted talk to her and laugh with her. He just wanted to be with her. And although nothing was stopping him, he stayed put. Even though it would be so easy to go and visit her, he stayed where he was. He wasn't sure why he was hesitating to go and talk with her, but something stopped him. And then sleep set in.

When he woke up it was dusk. The sun was low and the sky was a deep orange. Adrien swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat lost for a moment. He had missed dinner, but he wasn't all that hungry to begin with. He walked over to the window and looked out at the street.

"I hope I didn't miss an Akuma," he thought aloud, "Ladybug would kill me if I slept through a job…" Adrien looked around his room, spotting Plagg on the corner of the desk. He didn't even think about where he was going, for now, all he had to do was speak three simple words. "Plagg, claws out!"

Chat left through the bathroom window, which, to his surprise, had become a rather convenient exit. He ran across the rooftops, watching for anything suspicious as he went along. But he knew where he wanted to go. Being Chat Noir always gave a certain boost of confidence. And it always made decisions easier to make. He wanted to go see Mari. Not only because of his own selfish desire, but also because he felt he owed her an apology for the previous night.

Her room light was on. He tapped softly on the window. She was there to greet him almost instantly, her eyes were the richest shade of blue he had ever seen. He pointed up to the balcony and she nodded.

Chat leaned against the rail, keeping his eyes down and off of her. She waited on the other side of the balcony, the look on her face was one he had never seen before. Her face was soft as she looked at him. He fought the urge to run into her arms like he had earlier. Instead he kept quiet.

After building his courage for a while, he was finally able to look up at her.

"Princess," he said, "I'm sorry, about how I left things the other night. I feel really bad about yelling at you, I just…"

"Chat," she took a step towards him. "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have said what I did. It was my fault." Marinette hugged him tightly. He stood still for a moment and then found the energy to wrap his arms round her as well. She pulled away and smiled at him.

Marinette leaned on the rail and Chat sat on top of it. He stayed an arm's length from her, though he wished he could be closer. She looked out over the city, something in her eyes made his heart melt. Marinette talked about school, and about her friends, and he listens to her intently. He didn't care what she said, or how long she talked, it only mattered that the words were for him. Sometimes, Chat noticed that Marinette was very similar to Ladybug. The way she smiled was similar, and even their eyes held the same deep blue color. And the more he thought about it, the more he wished that she was. Because if that was true then he would be the luckiest person alive.

"Chat," Marinette looked at him, "Something's been up with you lately. And I know you said it had something to do with Ladybug, and a broken heart, but I was just wondering…is that all?" He paused for a moment. Then he looked down.

"Well," he said, "I thought it was just a broken heart at first. But lately, I don't know, it feels like something more. I've been forgetting really simple things, like earlier today I forgot about evening patrol. And, I know that I had feelings for Ladybug. But, I can't place them. Like I know that it's there… but I can't… I can't remember…"

"Chat…" she stepped closer to him. "I wanted to ask you something…" Her voice trailed off. Chat looked back at her.

"You remind me of her. Ladybug, I mean." Marinette stood up straighter, her eyes dropped and she frowned.

"I'm nothing like her."

"Maybe," he paused, looking up at the sky, "But, there is something. I can see it." She smiled sadly.

"Chat," she said, "I think you should just forget about Ladybug. Maybe it would be easier for you that way. Maybe then, you would get better. I mean, if you can't remember how you felt about her…maybe it's better that way."

"I can't do that," he shook his head. "I can't remember how I used to feel about her, I can't even remember how I'm supposed to act around her. But I know it's there. I know that if I can just get to it…" they were both silent for a moment. Marinette patted him on the head.

"I'm here for you, Chat," she smiled. "You don't have to do everything by yourself."

. . .


	4. Chapter 4: Marinette

**Chapter IV: Marinette**

She leaned her head on Chats shoulder. Marinette was at a loss for what to do. It was her fault that Chat was in this situation, her fault that he felt this way. And if she had managed all of that, then surely she could manage to think of a way to help him. Marinette sighed, leaning back to look at Chat. She hesitated for a moment, unsure of the right way to ask her question.

"Chat," she finally said, "Do you think love is necessary?"

"I think it's the most important thing in the world," he said, not missing a beat.

"But, if it hurts so much, why not just let it go?" Marinette could feel the pain in her chest grow. Chat smiled to himself.

"I'm a romantic," he shrugged, "A hopeless romantic who believes that love is the most powerful thing on earth. I could never let it go." She looked down, thinking for a moment.

Marinette found herself smiling. She squeezed his hand and leaned her head back on his shoulder like she had a million times before. It shouldn't have come as a surprise to her, that Chat believes in true love. But Marinette found it hard to believe in something so cruel that it could break a person in a matter of seconds. She couldn't understand why anyone would want that, how anyone could find that a necessity was beyond her. In her opinion, no amount of beauty was worth that kind of pain.

"I should go, princess," he stood, "It's rather late and I do believe we both have school tomorrow."

"Chat, wait," she grabbed his wrist. "If you ever need anything, come to me, okay? Promise." He smiled.

"Of course." Then he was gone.

Marinette went back to her room. She threw herself on the bed, closed her eyes, and let out a deep sigh. She couldn't get her mind off of Chat. It was all her fault, and she realized now that she was the only one who could fix it. But no matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn't come up with a way to help him. How did you go about restoring lost memories anyhow? Marinette had no prior experience with anything like this.

When it came down to it, she realized it was Ladybug who caused all of this. She had been too arrogant in her abilities, too hidden behind the mask that she didn't see what was happening. She had been so blind and now Chat had to pay the price. Marinette had always felt in control when she was Ladybug, so confident; she had always felt like she could do anything. But even from the first day, Marinette had questioned why the position given to her. And now…well now, she just wished she had been smarter before. If putting on that mask made her change this much, then she did not want it. If this was the price she paid for being Ladybug, for the first time she realized she might not have the strength to pay it. She couldn't bare to lose Chat just because she wanted to put on a costume and play hero. He didn't deserve that.

"Tikki," Marinette opened her eyes, "What am I going to do? What can I do?"

"What do you think you should do?" Tikki answered vaguely. "What do you think would help?"

"I don't know," Marinette shook her head. "How do I make him remember something that may not even exist in his mind anymore? What if it's too late, Tikki? What if Chats gone forever…"

"Don't think like that," Tikki said. "You can't give up until you've tried. It's not too late." She sighed again.

"Okay. Get his memories back…that's not too hard, right?" Marinette mumbled to herself, "That's easy. All I have to do is get him to remember his feelings for me… and to do that…to do that I will have to…take him to places and hope he remembers? I could reenact scenes that could trigger his feelings towards me, I could tell him about the battles…about my feelings…maybe he will get something from that. Maybe if he just sees the places again he will remember…?" She shook her head.

It would be hard to get him to remember his feelings for her if she didn't even know why he fell in love with her in the first place. She didn't know when he started to feel this way, so she didn't know where to start. Had she done something specific to spark his interest? If she had, then she could try to do it again. But there was no way of knowing exactly which thing would work.

The day she fought Dark Cupid kept playing through her mind. Was that it? Maybe Chat had fallen for her after she had kissed him, though he had never mentioned it to her as she had thought he might. The Akuma seemed to leave gaps in his memory, he never remembered what he did while he was under their control. So, she wondered if it was even possible to get him to recall memories like that. She tapped her fingers at her side. _I have to try._

Marinette got up early the next morning to try and catch Chat before school. She had gotten barely any sleep last night, and her mind raced with hope as she transformed. Ladybug took her usual route, hoping that Chat would be patrolling this early. Her heart lifted as she caught a glimpse of something on the rooftop next to her. She rushed off towards Chat, cutting him off a few blocks down.

"Chat! I'm so glad to see you, I was worried you wouldn't be out today," she said, catching her breath.

"Ladybug. Is there something you need this morning?" This was another time that he did not address her as "My Lady" and yet another encounter with no puns. She didn't realize how much she missed those two simple things until they were gone. She stood up straighter and took a step towards him.

"We need to talk," she said. "You have been acting very strange lately, not like yourself at all. And I think it has something to do with a bro—Memory. I think it's got something to do with the battle we had with Memory." She had to stop herself from talking about his broken heart. As much as she wanted answers, Ladybug knew that at this moment, mentioning his feelings could have a much worse outcome. That could make him worse, and she had done enough damage already. The only thing worse than a broken heart is getting it shattered again as soon as you have put back the pieces.

"My memory has been a little fuzzy since then," Chat recalled, "But I hit my head pretty hard. Maybe it's just a mild concussion that will pass with time?"

"That could be…" _but concussions don't take away feelings, they don't make you forget things like that._ "But, please, let me check just in case."

"Okay," he agreed. "What do you propose?"

"I'm going to take you to some of the places we defeated other villains," Ladybug explained, "And I want you to tell me what you think happened there. I'll fill in any gaps that you leave out, okay?" She figured that if he told the story to her, then maybe he would start to remember the feelings he had at that moment. She didn't know how effective that would be, but she knew it was worth a shot, and she was desperate.

"Okay," Chat nodded. "Lead the way."

She had three specific times in mind. The first, was the fight they had with Puppeteer. She remembered his flirting after the fight and hoped he might remember it too. Ladybug lead Chat to the building, stopping just short of the door. Then she turned to him.

"Do you remember what happened here?" She asked.

"We fought Puppeteer," Chat said.

"Do you remember what you told me after the fight?" She held her breath. Chat nodded.

"I asked you what happened when I was turned into a puppet."

"Is that all…?" Ladybug bit her lip. Chat tapped his finger on his chin, nodding slowly.

"Yeah, isn't it?" He looked at her. "Did something else happen?"

"Nope! Looks like your memory is good on that one," she forced a smile. _I'd allow you to manipulate my heart wherever and whenever you want_. That's what he had said to her. Ladybug could feel her heart sink. He didn't remember. She waved her hand and started off to the next destination. "Lets check the next one."

The second fight she hoped would trigger memories was the time when they fought Copycat. Although she wasn't aware of it at first, Ladybug soon found out that Chat was the one who said they were in a relationship, out of jealousy towards the artist. She hoped that this one would make him remember how much he loved her.

"This is where we fought Copycat," he said.

"Yes," she paused, "Do you remember what you, I mean, do you remember how he had feelings for me? Did that make you…jealous?" Chat thought for a moment before shaking his head.

"Not that I remember," he said. "I didn't like the idea of someone stepping in on my partner, though. And he wasn't even a convincing Chat Noir." He made a "tsk" noise with his mouth and shook his head again. Ladybug turned away from him. Her heart sank again. He didn't remember being jealous for her. She wanted him to remember. She really, truly wanted him to remember. _Looks like Chats not the only one who's lovesick._ She sighed and headed off to the next location.

The last place she could think to take him was the balcony where he had fought Antibug. She remembered his commitment to their partnership. And she wanted him to remember too. She wanted her partner back.

"Do you remember what you said to Antibug when you fought her here?" Ladybug asked, crossing her fingers.

"I told her I'd never join up with a fake like her," Chat seem pleased with his answer.

"Yeah…" _because we're a team_. "Chat, do you not remember having feelings for me?" She couldn't help herself from asking. She didn't want to stir up bad memories or cause him any more pain, but her curiosity got the better of her. She wanted to hear it from him. Ladybug realized that getting his brain to remember was easy, it was the heart that she was having trouble with.

"I know that I should have feelings for you, or I once did," Chat looked down. "But I can't remember what they felt like. I can imagine about what it would be like to have feelings for you, but the dots won't connect beyond that. I can't place where my feelings would have been before. Maybe… maybe they were never really there." She told herself to ignore the last part.

"There's one more place I need to take you," she grabbed his arm and headed off in the direction of the park. Ladybug didn't originally want to take him here because it was embarrassing to think about, but at this point she had no other choice. Dark Cupid was her reassurance that love always conquered hate, and she hoped that it could reassure her one more time.

"What do you remember about Dark Cupid?" She asked, finally releasing his arm. Chat looked down.

"I remember that you had to save me," he said solemnly. Ladybug nodded.

"But do you know how?" When he didn't answer, she continued, "I kissed you." He looked up at her, his mouth hanging open.

"You what?"

"I. Kissed. You." There was a long pause.

"But, I mean, that was just for, like, um, just for hero purposes, right? It was just to save me…" Chat stuttered. Both their faces flushed a furious red, and Ladybug couldn't bring herself to look directly at him.

"Well…" she wanted to tell him the truth. It had just been for hero purposes originally, but it turned into so much more. It meant more than that to her. And for the first time in her life, she understood what it was like to have your heart ache. He didn't remember. He really didn't remember having feelings for her, and for some reason that hurt more than anything she had ever felt before. It hurt worse than any wound. Although she had never noticed before, she really enjoyed Chats flirtatious nature. And she missed it a lot. Ladybug never gave him any kind of response, but now that it was gone, her heart ached with longing.

"I need to be getting to school," Chat turned to leave.

"Chat! I still wanted to…uh, never mind. Just tell me if anything happens, okay? If you remember anything tell me." He nodded and took off.

She watched for a long time, long after he was out of sight. And when she was sure that he wasn't coming back, she transformed back into herself and headed off to school.

Marinette could feel the tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. She had known that the chance of his memories returning this quickly was highly unlikely, but it still gave her a lump in her throat. She was completely out of ideas. _What makes the heart remember?_ She asked herself. The brain can remember the events, but the heart is responsible for the emotions that go along with it. She wondered how long it would take for his heart to remember her. And she wondered how broken it must have been to forget.

Alya waited for her by the front steps of school. Marinette swallowed her sadness and greeted her friend with a smile.

"Oh my gosh, girl!" Alya squealed and danced around her, "I have to tell you something!"

"Alya," Marinette laughed, "Stand still. What is it?"

"Adrien said he wanted to talk to you!"

"What? What! Seriously!" She could already feel the heat in her cheeks. "Did he say what about?"

"He said he wanted to talk to you as soon as you got to school," Alya smiled, "He's waiting inside. Go on! And don't be nervous!"

"That helps a lot," Marinette rolled her eyes.

She pushed her worrying of Chat aside for now and focused on the task at hand. She practically skipped up the steps and into the main hall of the school. She looked around wildly for Adrien, her heart pounding. He stood near the steps to the classroom, leaning on the rails. Marinette gathered herself and took a deep breath, walking slowly over to him. Adrien smiled when he saw her.

"Hey, Marinette!" He said cheerfully.

"Hi, Adrien," Marinette smiled. "Alya, s-said there was something you, uh, wanted to tell me?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to do something with me later tonight? As a thank you, for the quiche you made me," Adrien smiled again. Marinette's mouth dropped open, and her composure was gone.

"What, really? Oh you don't have to thank me…but s-sure! I love, I mean, I'd love to! What, um, what did you have in mind?" She held her arms tight at her sides, her fingers twitching with a mix of excitement and fear.

"I was thinking maybe a movie at my house? We can have dinner too if you want…"

"Yes! Yes," Marinette blushed, "I mean, yeah. Sure, that's cool. What time were you thinking?"

"How about I come to your house at seven?" Adrien said, his voice held a hint of shyness.

"Okay," she said. Adrien nodded.

"Okay."

Marinette was distracted for the rest of the day. Her heart raced through all of class, her eyes locked on the back of Adrien's head. She smiled dumbly every time he turned around to look at her, and his green eyes sparkled brighter than she had ever seen. Time seemed to speed up as the day went by, and soon class was over. Marinette rushed straight home after school. She had too much to do in such a short time. This night had to be perfect. _I have to be perfect_.

She threw various outfit combos onto her bed, unable to decide which one would look better. Everything seemed wrong. The wrong color, the wrong fabric, the wrong body. Marinette couldn't get a grip on her emotions as they ran wild, clouding her mind from thinking clearly. She took a deep breath and sat on the floor.

"Ugh, what am I going to do? Nothing is right!" She put her head in her hands. "Everything has to be perfect."

"Marinette, I'm sure Adrien doesn't care what you look like. He just wants to hang out with you," Tikki said, "Whatever you wear, you will look fine."

"Fine isn't enough!" Marinette cried. She heard a knock on the door.

"Marinette, is everything alright?" Her mom came into her room and stood next to her. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yes, please! I have to find the perfect outfit for my date with Adrien tonight," Mari stopped herself at the realization of what she had said. "A date? Oh my gosh, it's a date! I'm going on a date…with Adrien…a date! I can't believe it…"

"What about this top?" Her mom smiled, holding up a black shirt with silver embroidery along the collar. Mari thought for a moment. _Black is always good, everyone looks good in black. Okay, yes this is perfect!_ She nodded.

"Okay, I'll wear this with jeans, and maybe a necklace. Would that be too much?" She looked at her mom. "Oh, nevermind. You can leave now. Thanks for the help!"

Once her mom was out of the room, Marinette slipped on the shirt and adjusted it around her waist. She played with the loose fabric, folding it differently, tucking it in and then pulling it back out again. She fussed over the way the sleeves fell on her shoulders, and the way the bottom hung loose above her jeans. Finally, after a long while, Marinette gave one last glance at the mirror, put on her shoes, and headed down to the living room.

The wait was agonizing. It was as if the clock hands were moving backwards. She paced the room nervously, her hands holding her phone so tight her knuckles had turned white. She had gotten a text from Adrien a few minutes ago that said he was on his way; her heart had melted at the cute smiley face he had put at the end of it. Marinette couldn't wait any longer, she had waited all day. But when the doorbell rang, she found herself wishing she had more time. _I've got this_ , she told herself. Then she opened the door.

"Hi, Adrien," she smiled dumbly.

"Hey, ready to go?" He smiled back her, then lead the way outside.

She trailed a few steps behind him, afraid that she wasn't aloud to walk beside him. Eventually, Adrien stopped and turned around to face her. He smiled warmly.

"You can walk next to me, you know," he laughed softly.

"O-okay," Marinette placed herself next to him. They were barely a foot apart.

They took a detour on the way to Adrien's house. Before they wanted to watch the movie, Adrien had asked her if she wanted to go to the park, and a flustered "yes" was all she could manage. Marinette took deep breaths as they walked along the park path, she had to compose herself quickly. She wanted to be on this date, she wanted to be here, it's what she always dreamed of. But still, she felt like she was missing something, though, she was unable to place it.

Adrien seemed to get closer as the walk went on. Marinette could feel the as the heat rose in her cheeks, she tried to suppress it by avoiding eye contact. Her mind was drifting, and it often fell to Chat. And when she looked up at Adrien, for a moment, all she saw was Chat, and his beautiful green eyes.

When they got to Adrien's house, they went straight to his room and he closed the door behind them. She looked around in awe as he picked out a movie. His room was massive, her eyes widened with every second she stared. She had known Adrien was rich, but for the first time she realized just how much of a difference there was between the two of them.

"What kind of movie do you want to watch?" Adrien asked. Marinette thought for a moment.

"A sad love story," she said finally. Adrien smiled.

"A romantic, I see," he laughed, "That makes two of us."

As cliché as it was, they ended up deciding on _Romeo and Juliet_. Mari the had read the script before in class, and then again on her own. Adrien even admitted he had read it recently as well, he had always found it beautiful in its own way. To her surprise, he seemed to be a big fan of sad romances, and he told her he had read at least three within the last week. That made her think of Chat too.

Through the whole movie, Marinette couldn't stop thinking about her broken hearted Chat Noir. And by the end of the film, both teens were in tears. Marinette had moved closer to Adrien and he ended up lacing his fingers with hers. When the credits finally ended and the TV went black, she found the courage to look at him.

"Why do you think people fall in love when it hurts so much?" she said through tears.

"Because it's beautiful too," he said, squeezing her hand as another tear slipped down his cheek. The words felt familiar to her, and it made her sad to think that she had said those exact words to Chat.

"But, I mean, it didn't matter. In the end, right?" She said, "They ended up dead. And now they aren't together anymore…" Adrien shook his head.

"No," he smiled at her, "Love is forever."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Soon, Marinette started to notice how late it was, and her eyes felt heavy. When she looked up at Adrien his eyes were closed and the remains of a smile rested on his lips. His breathing was steady and Marinette couldn't help herself. She leaned her head on his shoulder in the familiar way she had done a million times before with someone else. It was wonderful, and she felt herself relax. Then, sleep came.

At first, her dream was about Ladybug and Chat Noir. And then it was about her and Adrien. And then, they all blurred together until she couldn't even tell the difference anymore. Both Chat and Adrien stood before her, and a voice in her head told her that she had to choose. And when she couldn't, they both fell away…

Marinette woke up with a kick in her heartbeat. She looked around, the room was crawling with shadows, and she noticed the sun was completely gone now. She checked her phone. As if on cue her mom sent a text that she should try to head home within the next hour. Marinette looked beside her at Adrien who still slept soundly.

She reached out to wake him up but stopped herself. Instead she scooted closer to him until her face was inches from his. _It would be so easy,_ she thought, _to kiss him right now._ She leaned in closer, the space between them closing until it was almost nonexistent. Marinette jumped back and threw her hands to her cheeks. She couldn't believe what she had almost done. She couldn't believe how close she had been. The noise she made was enough to wake Adrien, and he rubbed his eyes.

"Oh, Marinette I'm so sorry!" He jumped to his feet, "I totally lost track of time and I…I can walk you home if you want." She thought she could see the slightest hint of redness on his cheeks, but it was too dark for her to be sure.

"No, no it's fine," she assured him. "I fell asleep too. Thanks for everything, I can walk myself home. I'll, um, I'll see you tomorrow." She headed for the door. She let her hand hover slightly over the handle before she whirled back around. "Adrien!"

"Yeah?" His silhouette turned towards her.

"Do you really believe that…that love can conquer all? Like in the movie…" Adrien thought for a moment.

"Yes. I think love is the best thing in the whole world. Even though it hurts sometimes, I don't think anyone could live without it," he shrugged. "But what do I know? I'm just a hopeless romantic."

"You sound exactly like…like Chat." She whispered through the dark.

"What?"

"Nothing," she opened the room door, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Marinette walked down the street with a slow pace. She was in no rush to get home to her room, the night felt oddly compelling, more intriguing than it had before. She didn't want to leave her thoughts. She didn't want to leave the light of the stars. At least, not any sooner than she had to.

The light in the bakery was still one when she opened the door. Her father stood behind the counter, cleaning it with a cloth and he gave her a glance as she walked by him.

"How'd it go?" He asked.

"Good."

"Do I get more details than that?" He jested. Marinette gave a weak smile.

"I'm just really tired, Papa," she waved her hand and headed up the stairs.

Once she was in her room, she let out a deep sigh. _What's wrong with me?_ She shook her head. Marinette ran her fingers through her hair, biting her bottom lip. Chat was all she could think about. She wanted to help him, she wanted to save him, she wanted to be near him…she wanted to hold him. She wanted to hold him so tight and never let go. She didn't know how she didn't realize it until now, but Chat was one of the most important things in her life.

"Marinette," Tikki said, "What's the matter? You seemed distracted tonight with Adrien…"

"I know," Marinette cried. "I know, I know, I know. But it's driving me crazy!"

"What is?"

"Chat Noir," she said, "I can't stop thinking about him."

Marinette shook her head and sat down on the bed. Her head spun with emotions, thoughts, dreams. Adrien reminded her so much of her lovesick Chat that she couldn't stand it. She couldn't stand to be near him because it hurt too much. It reminded her too much of what she had done to him. It was like she was betraying Chat. He had a broken heart and was ready to give up on love, and here she was chasing after it herself. She shook her head and looked up at Tikki.

"It's driving me crazy, I just don't understand. I mean… Chat Noir, of all people," Marinette smiled sadly. "I never thought I'd feel this way about him. But he's always on my mind; I see him in everything I do, everyone I see. Even Adrien looked like him tonight. Why can't I stop thinking about Chat? I miss him more than I've been missed anything in my entire life. Ugh! It's driving me crazy, _he's_ driving me crazy. I mean, maybe he's doing it on purpose. Maybe he's trying to make sure that he's always on my mind. And, you know what, it's driving me crazy because…" she sighed.

"Because it's working."

. . .


	5. Chapter 5: Adrien

**A/N: I am so sorry! This chapter is like a week late (hopefully it's good though). I am planning to have about eight chapters total in this story so we still have a while left to go. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter V: Adrien**

For the first time in a week, Adrien was able to sleep. His head hit the pillow and he was out like a light. He dreamt about Marinette. He dreamt that they were dancing and smiling and laughing. He dreamt that they were holding hands and hugging. And he dreamt that they could be together. But at the end of his dream, he had to choose. Ladybug or Marinette. And when he couldn't do it, they both disappeared.

Adrien sat up in a cold sweat, his heart pounding. _If I choose one I'll lose the other_. He shook his head and turned off his alarm. The morning dragged on, the clocks moving in slow motion. Memories of last night with Marinette clouded his head, and his cheeks blushed softly as he remembered holding her hand. He wondered if things would be the same today as they always were. Or maybe things would change. Right now, Adrien couldn't tell which one he preferred.

He headed off to school earlier than usual today, hoping to catch Marinette before class started. Luck seemed to be on his side because when he got to school she was standing by the front doors. Adrien gathered his courage and walked over to her, giving her a warm smile. She blushed in return.

"A-Adrien…" she said. "Hi. I mean, good morning."

"About last night…" he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye. "Um, well… it was fun. Right?"

"Of course!" Marinette's voice cracked. "Was it… fun for you too?"

"Of course," he laughed. "I love hanging out with you. I was just hoping that it didn't change things too much… like in a bad way! I mean if it changes things in a good way… um…" Adrien found himself finally understanding where Marinette's nervousness came from.

"It was good," she nodded. "Definitely a good change. Adrien, maybe later we could…uh…" she didn't get to finish.

"Adrikins!" Chloe was at his side before he even had a chance to look her way. She threw her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulder. "Let's go somewhere for lunch, my dad's paying! Also, you should come to the hotel tonight for my party. Some super important government officials are coming to talk to Daddy tonight, so he's throwing a party. Oh, I forgot you're here too, Marinette. Of course this party is only for cool people so you're not invited—"

"Chloe," Adrien pushed her hands off of him. "Be nice."

"Fine, fine," she crossed her arms. "Marinette, you can come. But try not to embarrass anyone, I know it's a challenge for you. It's a formal party with lots of important people, try and dress with some class, got it? Suits, dresses, and masks. It's a masquerade party. Think you can handle it?" Chloe wrapped her arm around Adrien again and pulled him away from Marinette, who stood staring at the ground. Before he was dragged away, he tapped Marinette on the arm.

"See you tonight, Mari," Adrien said.

For the rest of the morning, he focused hard on his work, ignoring Chloe and her staring. He had a lot of catching up to do to make up for all the dozing off and daydreaming he had been doing the last week. By the time lunch rolled around, Adrien was already exhausted. And having to spend this free time with Chloe was just about the last thing he wanted to do. Nonetheless, he followed her to a small café a few blocks from the school.

She played the "mayor's daughter" card as soon as they were in the door. And as much as she knew he hated it, she played the "famous model" card too. Adrien was used to being asked about modeling, but he hated it when Chloe tried to stand out in that important way that whe did. And he hated when she drew attention to the fact that he couldn't be normal like everyone else. But after years of being caught off guard, Adrien was finally used to it. And he had learned not to let it get to him because frankly there was nothing he could do.

A waiter lead them to a table near the window that looked out over the street. Once they were seated and had ordered, Chloe leaned forward and tilted her head.

"Adrien," her attitude changed suddenly, "I know that I can be kind of, well, kind of a lot to handle sometimes, but I am your friend. And I'm here for you if you need something. It seems like the last couple days you've been kind of down on yourself, and maybe I'm not the person you want to talk to about it, but as one of your friends…I'm asking you. Are you okay?" He couldn't help but smile a little.

"I'm fine, Chloe," he said. "Thanks. I've just been distracted lately." She kept her eyes on him.

"Does it have something to do with Marinette?" When he looked at her shocked, she rolled her eyes and tapped her finger on the side of her face. "Oh, come on. I know I'm not the brightest but I know what a crush looks like. And she has one on you. And maybe…you have one on her too?"

"Maybe," Adrien admitted. "I mean, I don't really know how I feel about her. But I know I don't want to ruin our friendship." Chloe laughed.

"You've always been a romantic. I'm a bit of one myself, if I'm being honest," She paused and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Look, I'm not a fan of that clumsy, wannabe designer Marinette. But if she's what makes you happy…then I guess I'd be okay with it. Maybe. Just make sure you don't get hurt, okay?" His mouth hung open for a few seconds.

"Thanks. Thanks, Chloe. That, uh, that means a lot to me…" Adrien stared at her in awe. This was a side of her that he didn't see often enough.

"What?" She shrugged. "I can give good advice when I feel like it."

Adrien smiled. _She has her moments,_ he thought. As far as he could tell, Chloe was a self absorbed, spoiled little brat who used money to buy her way through life. But she was also his friend. And sometimes that was the best thing for him. Sure, he hated how she used him for attention. He hated how she walked around like he was some kind of prize. But sometimes, her arrogance held just the right balance of humility hidden beneath it. And sometimes, though he might not realize it, that was exactly what he needed.

He felt lighter after his lunch with Chloe. Speaking with her could be oddly refreshing sometimes. Adrien felt like he had gotten something off his chest that he had held onto for too long. And the rest of the day flew by. He caught one last glance at Marinette as she walked home with Alya, and they exchanged another polite smile.

As he walked home, Adrien had a skip in his step. Chloe's advice had really meant something to him, and he was excited to speak with Marinette tonight at the party. He couldn't quite imagine what he would say to her, but he was still excited.

When Adrien got home his father was waiting for him, and for a moment he forgot what family he had been born into. For a small moment, he thought it would be a reunion. But he was wrong. His father did not hug him, nor did he even smile. He did not seem excited, or happy, or even in a pleasant mood. Instead, his father stood still, face cold and unwavering, like a stone statue. And when Adrien told him about Chloe's party, his father responded with a frown and a rejection, saying that Adrien would not be able to attend tonight because he had set up a very important photo shoot that was not to be excused or taken lightly.

So, when Adrien got home and his father was waiting for him, it was not a family reunion. Instead, it only made Adrien feel even more alone in the world than he already had. With a sigh and heavy heart, he went up to his room and laid on his bed.

The rest of the night, Adrien stayed alone in his room. He turned the other way when Natalie came in to offer him dinner. And he locked himself behind the bathroom door when his father came in to get him ready for the modeling shoot. He did not want to see his father. And he most certainly did not want his father to see him cry. So he stayed hidden behind the door until he was sure he was alone again in his room.

"What are you doing here?" Plagg said. "You have a party to be at. Let's go!"

"I can't," Adrien sighed. "My father already said no and I doubt Natalie would allow me…"

"So what if they disapprove?" His kwami insisted. "They aren't here. Who's stopping you from going out the window? Who's stopping Chat Noir?" He looked up.

Adrien considered this for a moment. It's not like he had never snuck out before. _If I miss this shoot, father is going to kill me_ , he thought. Chloe had been there for him earlier when he needed it. And although she wasn't always the best person to be around, he felt like he owed her at least the courtesy of attending tonight. Not to mention he had business with Marinette.

"Okay," he decided. "Let's go."

He grabbed a black suit and shoved it into a bag, then he threw it over his shoulder. Once he transformed into Chat Noir, he unlocked the window and sat on the edge, hesitating for a moment.

"As long as we don't get caught, we'll be fine," he told himself. "Besides…what's a teenager without a little rebellion?" He took a deep breath.

Then he jumped.

Paris was lit with the low light of the setting sun. Shadows stretched between buildings, and the streets were cleared of people. Chat raced across the rooftops, holding his bag tight with both hands. When he was but a few buildings from Chloe's hotel, a figure appeared beside him and cut off his path. It stood tall and lanky, clouded into a silhouette by the fading suns rays. Chat stopped a few feet from him and swallowed hard.

"Chat Noir," the voice was deep and robotic.

"What do you want from me?" He asked, his heart pounding.

"I hear that your memories have been a little fuzzy lately," the man took a step forward. "Don't worry, I'm not here for a fight. I am here to tell you that Hawkmoth would like to speak to you. He may have a solution to your memory problem."

"Hawkmoth?" Chat narrowed his eyes. "He's the one who did this to me. You think I'm stupid enough to believe that he's trying to help me? No way! Get out of here!"

"I don't care what you believe," the man shook his head. "If you are interested in what he has to say then come to the Eiffel Tower at midnight tonight."

"He's going to be there?"

"I know what your thinking and no, he will not be there in person," the figure turned away from him. "I will be his messenger. Come alone or you get nothing. See you then, Chat Noir." Then he was gone.

"I never said I was coming," Chat mumbled. "I have no interest in what he has to say, believe me."

Chloe was waiting for him by the time Adrien made it to the front door of the hotel. She pulled him through the halls hurriedly and into a hotel room. Then she pushed a black mask at him and told him to change into his suit as quickly as he could. "I'll be waiting right outside." She said with a sweet smile.

Adrien slipped into his suit and adjusted the mask in the mirror. He brushed his hair with his fingers until it was tousled and laid lazily on his head. Then he opened the door and smiled at Chloe. She nodded approvingly and took his arm, leading him down into a ballroom that was crowded with a mess of people. With everyone wearing masks it was hard for him to recognize his classmates, and suddenly Adrien felt relieved to have a familiar arm at his side. He stood a little closer to Chloe as she led him to the center of the crowd and turned to face him.

"Ready for a dance, prince charming?" She placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Chloe…"

"C'mon," she said, "Just one? You can't come to a ball and not dance." Adrien nodded nervously and placed his hands on her hips.

He lead the dance, his feet moving on instinct. Chloe was wearing a soft pink dress and a gold mask. She was a much better dancer than he had thought, and he realized then that both of them had grown up with classic parents who kept tradition alive. So it came as no surprise that she knew how to ballroom dance.

He remembered years ago at one of her birthday parties they had danced just like this. She was shorter than him then too. He remembered being two little kids on the dance floor just for the fun of it, laughing and smiling the night away like the world was theirs. But that was the last time he felt like that. After that night, she changed. He wished he could get that moment back. He wished they could be like that again, just one more time.

And as the dance finished and they were pulled closer together, he could see it. For a fraction of a second he could see that moment again. For a fraction of a second his heart had healed.

"That was great, Adrikins," Chloe said. "I have to go say 'hi' to some of Daddy's friends, but I'll be back. Don't go anywhere." She pushed her way towards her father and left him alone in a crowd of strangers. Adrien looked around lost and worked his way to the edge of the cored where he stood against the wall.

"Adrien," a familiar voice spoke. He turned to see a girl with dark hair and stunning blue eyes staring back at him. She work a tight fitted red dress that stopped just above her knees, and she had a red mask to match. He smiled.

"Marinette," Adrien stepped closer to her. "I'm glad I know someone else here besides Chloe."

"I'm glad you're here," she smiled shyly. "I wanted to talk to you. Can we go somewhere a little more private?" Adrien nodded and followed her off the dance floor and out of the ballroom.

They went to the roof of the hotel. Marinette leaned on the rail and looked up at the sky that was dotted with stars. Adrien stood next to her, he couldn't take his eyes off of her. The world was quiet and calm around them, a warm breeze came between the two, and was gone as quickly as it came.

"About last night…" Marinette started. "We never got to finish our conversation from earlier." He stayed quiet for a moment.

"You're not stuttering," he said finally.

"What?"

"When you talk to me. You're not stuttering," he repeated himself. "Maybe last night helped a little? Like, I don't know, maybe you're more comfortable talking to me now."

"Maybe. Or maybe it's the mask," she laughed. "Besides, that was always so embarrassing."

"I thought it was cute," Adrien laughed with her. "But anyway, I like that we can talk like…like real friends now. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable around me, I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me." Marinette smiled and looked down at her hands.

"It's just a little intimidating sometimes," she admitted. "You're famous and-and you're _you_. And I'm _me_. And that's just… sometimes I feel like I'm not good enough for you. Like I'll never be…" he took her hands in his.

"Marinette, look at me," he said, "Don't ever feel like you're not good enough for me. Your perfect, and adorable, and amazing, and smart, and beautiful, and so many things I can't even name. You're perfectly adorable in every adorably perfect way you can be, okay? So please don't ever feel like you aren't good enough. You're _amazing_ Marinette." She blushed.

"Thanks, Adrien."

The silence fell on them again. He didn't let go of her hand even as she turned back to look over the city. And he didn't take his eyes off her. He couldn't. For the first time, Adrien realized just exactly how much he needed Marinette. He realized how much she meant to him. _How have I never seen it before?_

"So," Marinette finally spoke, "Does this mean we're friends now?" Adrien couldn't help but laugh.

"We've always been friends," he leaned closer to her, "This means we can be more."

"More." A big grin spread across her face. Marinette took her hands from him, and when she was a few feet away she swept into a low bow. "May I have this dance?" He smiled and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"That's my line."

Adrien's heart raced faster as he danced with her on the rooftop. Spinning her and dipping her on this dance floor that they had made under the stars was incredible. Being with her was incredible. And he wished he never had to let go. This moment was perfect and he never wanted it to end because he wasn't sure he would ever get it back. He wasn't ready to let go of this feeling just quite yet.

When the dance ended, they leaned on each other for support. Adrien's legs felt numb and he was glad for the pressure of another person next to him. Marinette hummed a song quietly to herself and played with their hands. She squeezed his hand with hers, lacing her fingers tighter to his. Then she looked up at him with her bright blue eyes and he could feel his heart melt.

"Adrien…" she whispered, leaning closer until their lips were almost touching; yet, before they could kiss she pulled back, hesitating. He shifted his weight to face her and squeezed her hand back.

"Marinette," Adrien said, leaning closer until he could feel her breath, "Don't hold back."

It only took one moment. One moment, and then everything changed. Marinette yanked his collar and their lips smashed together in a fit of passion. Adrien brought his hands to her face; her skin was soft, and a little heat still lingered from all the dancing they had done. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and pulled him closer. He wasn't sure how long they kissed, but when it was over his lips felt empty.

"Oh my gosh," Marinette covered her face. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry! That wasn't supposed to…"

"Mari," Adrien laughed, "It's okay." He looked up at the stars and whispered, "It's a million times okay." She pulled her hands away from her face and for a moment his eyes played a trick on him. _She looks like Ladybug. An unmistakable resemblance_ , he thought.

"What is it?" She said.

"You just remind me of someone," Adrien looked down, "Someone who I miss a lot. Someone who…who I think I had feelings for." A hint of pain flashed across her face, but it was too dark and too quick for Adrien to know for sure.

"You think?"

"Well," he scratched the back of his head, "You see, I can't really remember…" Suddenly he remembered something. "Hey. Marinette?"

"Yeah?" She looked up at him.

"If you had a problem, and you knew someone who could potentially fix that problem, would you ask them for help? Even if they were the one who caused the problem in the first place?" She thought for a moment.

"Sometimes that's the best person to ask," Marinette said. "I mean, even if they were the one who caused the problem, that just means that they might be the only one with a solution, right?" He met her eyes.

"Right," Adrien nodded. "Right. You're right."

He thought about Hawkmoths invitation, and his eyes glanced at the Eiffel Tower. _He might be the only one with the solution_. He bit his lip, racking his brain and trying to find what to do. But no matter how many different scenarios he ran through his head, they all ended with the same conclusion. As much as he hated to admit it, Hawkmoth was the only one who could help him now. _He's the only one with answers._

"It's depends, though," Marinette added.

"Depends on what?"

"How bad do you want answers?" She asked. Adrien could feel a lump in his throat.

"More than anything," he said. "I _need_ to know."

"Then I think you have your answer."

"Thank you, Mari. You're the best," Adrien pulled her into a hug. Then he ran towards the door that lead back to the hotel, turning back to look at her one last time. "I'm sorry. But I have to go. I really…I really have to go." Marinette smirked and walked over to him.

"Aren't I the one who's supposed to play Cinderella? It's not common for the prince to be the one running off…" she laughed.

"Mari, I just really have to do this."

"At least leave me a glass slipper," Marinette pleaded.

"I'll do you one better," he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her lips, then he opened the door. "Goodbye, princess. I'll see you later."

Adrien ran down the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him. He ran back through the main ballroom and dodged through the people who lingered outside the doors. He found Chloe and gave back the black mask she had loaned him earlier, not waiting long enough to hear her protest. Then he was off again, putting as much distance between him and the other guests as possible.

Finally, Adrien stopped in an empty hallway and scanned it quickly for anyone who could be standing nearby. When he knew the coast was clear he turned to the kwami that floated just so above his shoulder. "Plagg, claws out!" Adrien transformed into Chat and bounded off towards the Eiffel Tower. And even though it was a split second decision, he was able to make it to the top by midnight.

Chat was all alone for a good ten minutes. When he was just about ready to head home, the figure from hours earlier appeared at his side. He didn't try to put distance between them, he didn't even stand. He was not worried. He was not afraid. Instead, Chat looked up at the figure with determination in his eyes and hope in his heart.

"I'm listening."

. . .


	6. Chapter 6: Marinette

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is so late, and it's a little on the short side. School started so I just kept forgetting to update. I'm planning to have about two more chapters and I'm thinking I'll just post them at the same time, so this update might take a while too. I'll try to do it as quickly as I can (no more than two weeks). Thanks so much for reading, it really means a lot that you took time to read my story. Again, sorry about being so inconsistent with the updates, I'll try to better with this last one. Thanks!**

 **Chapter VI: Marinette**

Marinette headed home from Chloe's party almost immediately after Adrien had left. She had only come there to see him, and now that he was gone she didn't really have a reason to stay. On the way home, her head exploded with happiness. She could still feel the pressure of his lips on hers, and she could still feel his hand around her waist as they danced. Her heart was still pounding. And even though she was the only one out at this time of night, Marinette covered her face with her hands to hide the redness of her cheeks.

Something deep down tugged at her. And she could feel her mood sink. As much as she wanted to think about her night with Adrien, Chat was the only thing on her mind. It felt like somehow, she had betrayed him tonight.

 _Goodbye, princess._

Chat had said those words to her so many times. And tonight when Adrien had said that exact same thing, something in her heart changed. As much as she loved the idea of Adrien, the only person she wanted to call her "princess" was Chat. Those words were his. They were meant for her by him. And she didn't want anyone else to say them. In that moment Marinette realized, that for all that denying she did…

…she loved Chat.

She loved him. And all that worrying she did about losing him because of love, was useless, she realized, because now it might be the only thing that could save him.

"How could I have been so blind?" She whispered to herself. "I was so naive. How could I have been that… that…wrong?" Only now did she feel the true weight of the guilt on her shoulders as she thought about how mean she had been to Chat. How wrong she had been.

For the longest time she had focused all her energy on Adrien, and how much she loved him, that she lost sight of what true love really was. She thought about Chat and his feelings, and how hurt he must have been. She regarded his love as insignificant, immature. _I was so wrong_ , Marinette realized. She had thought her love for Adrien was different than Chats love for Ladybug—for her. And it was only now that she realized it was different. Because Chats was real.

"I called it petty," Marinette said almost accusingly. "Oh, Chat. I'm so so sorry that I didn't see it before. And now it might be too late…"

Tonight she had kissed Adrien. Tonight she had gotten everything she had ever wanted. So why? Why did her heart hurt so much?

"Marinette," Tilki said, "What's wrong? Your mood dropped suddenly."

"I owe Chat a huge apology," she said. "I was a horrible partner. And an even worse friend."

When Marinette got to her house she walked right past the front door. She needed to find Chat. She was done running away. If she was ever going to do this, she would have to do it now. And she might still be too late. Marinette hoped Chat hadn't done anything irreversible yet. She hoped beyond hope that he was okay, and that he could forgive her. Though she most definitely did not deserve it.

Marinette had thought she understood the concept of love. But she couldn't have been more wrong. She had made a severe miscalculation about Chats feelings. And she hated herself for taking so long to realize that it was she who was being immature. She hated that she had taken so long to realize how much wrong she had done him. She loved Adrien. But now she realized that she loved Chat too. She might even love him more.

"What I wouldn't give for a cat joke right now…" she said, looking around at the empty streets. But the emptiness didn't stay for long.

"Marinette," her head whipped around as someone spoke behind her. "I didn't expect to see you out so late."

"Chat… Noir…" her heart sunk at the heartbreaking realization. "You didn't call me… princess…" he cocked his head.

"What? Why would I?" Her eyes widened.

 _His memory's gotten worse_ , Marinette bit her lip. _He's so much worse than I expected_. "Chat, um, I have something to ask you."

"Sure," he said. She started to walk again and he kept pace next to her.

"Do you love Ladybug?" Marinette asked. There was no point in dragging it out longer than she needed to. She had wanted to ask him something, and there was no time to waste.

"No," his answer was simple this time. No hesitation behind his voice. Marinette searched frantically for words to say to him.

"Aren't you partners?"

"I'm not really sure what we are," he admitted. Chat didn't look her in the eye, instead he stared straight ahead. Marinette sucked in a sharp breath, choking back tears. She closed her eyes tight and clenched her fist.

"Chat, I need you to promise me something," tears fell down her cheeks, "Promise me you won't lose hope until you've tried everything you can." _There has to be something else I can do. Something is havn't tried yet. Just hang on a little longer. Please—_

"There's not much left that I can try."

Marinette waited for more but it seemed that those words were all she would receive.

When she opened her eyes, Chat had already left. Marinette crumpled to the ground, holding her hands over her heart. She let out a horrible cry. She couldn't help it. She cried until it turned into a sob, and she didn't care how loud and painful it sounded. Marinette cried until her tears ran dry and her eyes were red and puffy. She cried until all the feeling in her heart went away; until all the energy had drained from her body. For a long while she couldn't bring herself to stand. But finally, her legs regained feeling and she leaned against the buildings as she made her way home.

Marinette went straight to her room and cried some more. She couldn't stop. It hurt so much. _I'm too late_ , she thought. _I can't save him now_. Suddenly a fit of anger rose in her. She clenched the side of her blanket, feeling the pressure of her nails against her palm even through the fabric. She went into the bathroom and started a shower. She scrubbed her lips until she was sure their was no trace of Adrien left on them. She let the water rush over her and wash away all the pain. Then she closed her eyes and tried to slow her breathing.

By the time she was done pitying herself, it was almost morning. She didn't have school, and she was thankful for that. She wasn't tired. And she wasn't angry or sad anymore. She was just…okay. Marinette was okay. And she was determined to make Chat okay too.

She left a note for her parents telling them she had gone to Alyas house. Then she transformed into Ladybug and went on her way.

Her movements seemed sluggish but controlled, she was alert but distracted at the same time. Marinette rubbed her eyes in an attempt to gain some composure. It worked for about five minutes before she slumped back into her half alive state.

"Chat, where are you?" She said. "Please be out today. I need you."

It was at least two hours before she stopped looking. Ladybug settled on top of the Eiffel Tower, pulling her knees to her chest and resting her head on her arms. She wasn't sure how much time had passed before she lifted her head again, but the city was bustling with people now. Had she fallen asleep? It hadn't felt like it.

"Ladybug!" A little girl shouted from below. "Look, it's Ladybug! Ladybug! Come down, please! I want to meet you." Needing a distraction, she obeyed. Ladybug landed a few feet from the girl who pulled at her mother's arm. "Ladybug!"

"Well, hello there," Ladybug noticed a change in her voice. It was different. Distant. Fake. "What might your name be?"

"I'm Mary. I'm six years old," she said. "Ladybug, guess what?"

"What?"

"You're my hero," the little girl named Mary smiled the biggest smile Ladybug had ever seen.

"Your… hero," the words stung like a wound. _I'm not a hero. I couldn't even save the person who needed my help the most._

"Yeah," Mary hugged her. "You're always helping people and doing what's right. I want to be like you someday. I want to be strong just like you." Ladybug knelt down and put her hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Listen, I'm going to tell you something," she said. "It's not just about being strong. You need the strength to save people. That's what heroes do. And it's okay if you don't save tons of people. You'll be a hero even if you only save one person…just one. You just have to save one person, and only one person has to believe in you. That's enough."

"Just one person?" Mary looked down confused for a moment before smiling. "Okay. I believe in you, Ladybug." Ladybugs eyes widened.

"Thanks," she smiled. "Even heroes need somebody to believe in them sometimes." Mary squeezed her hand.

"Ladybug, I have a favor to ask you."

"Sure, what is it?"

"I saw Chat Noir the other day," Mary said, leaning in close, whispering. "He looked really sad. He's your partner, so I thought you should know. Maybe, he needs someone to believe in him right now." Ladybug let out a small breath. Then she nodded.

"I understand," she stood up. "I'll save him. Don't worry. We're heroes, it's our job to save people. Even if those people are ourselves." Mary smiled and gave her a thumbs up.

"Mary, it's time to go," her mother called for her. The little girl gave one last wave goodbye and then she was gone. Ladybug turned back to the Eiffel Tower.

When she climbed back to the top, Chat was there waiting for her. She kept her distance, leaning on the rail a few feet away from where he sat. Chat was quiet at first, but finally he looked at her. Ladybug was startled at his appearance. It didn't even look like him. His green eyes were broken, and his usually flirty smile had disappeared completely, there was no trace of her Chat Noir anywhere. Trying to conceal her shock, she swallowed hard.

"Chat."

"Ladybug there's something I need to say," he looked away from her. "Will you listen?"

"Of course I will," she nodded. "We're partners." He flinched at the word.

"About that," he said, "I don't think I can be Chat Noir anymore."

Her heart stopped.

She was too shocked to do anything, and for a second her lungs forgot how to take in air. Ladybug tried to respond but all that came out was a small squeak before her voice died away. Her hands were shaking and her eyes couldn't have been holding anything but mortal terror. This was the first time she had felt this kind of fear before. And it was absolutely terrifying.

"You...you're kidding, right," she lunged at him. "Tell me you're joking!" He didn't answer. Instead he pulled away from her and turned the other way. Her rage got the best of her. "Chat look at me! What's wrong with you, why would say something like that? I don't understand… Chat please. I need you right now…" He shook his head.

"I just don't have what it takes to be a hero. I see that now. My ideals were childish," Chats voice was soft. "Hawkmoth opened my eyes. And I realize that he's right. I'm not a hero. I'm just a stupid kid…playing a game that I can't win…" Ladybug grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

"Hawkmoth?! You were talking to Hawkmoth?" She was screaming now, her emotions raw and out in the open. "I'm your partner. This isn't a game. There has to be something I can do… something make you…" Chats muscles relaxed in her grip.

"I've already made up my mind."

"Don't you see he just wants your miraculous?" Ladybug pleaded with him.

"Let him have it," Chat said.

She let go of him and covered her mouth with her hands, backing away. Ladybug gasped for air as her body finally caught up with her broken heart. She thought that this is what it must feel like to die. _No_ , she thought. _This is so much worse_. It truly was. It was her worst nightmare. And it was all her fault. Ladybug had caused this, she had lost Chat because she was too selfish to admit the truth. She lost her best friend. Her family.

"I failed you," she said. "I'm so sorry. I failed you…"

"This has nothing to do with you," Chat said coldly.

"It had everything to do with me!" She screamed. His eyes widened and he shut his mouth, looking ashamed. This time she spoke quieter, "It has everything to do with me. It's my fault. If I had only realized sooner. If I had only been a better friend. Then you wouldn't be in this position…" Chat stepped up to her. He was so much taller than she was, she had to tilt her head to look into those empty green eyes of his. He gave her the saddest smile she had ever seen.

"This is my choice," he tried to sound reassuring. "There's nothing you can do for me now."

"I'm not going to give up," her tone changed then. "I'm going to save you, Chat. Because that's what heroes do."

Chat did nothing.

There was a long silence. And for a moment Ladybug thought it had worked. But the situation relapsed quickly. And before she knew it, her Chat Noir was gone. His words cut like knives through her.

"There's nothing left to save." Chat backed away from her. Ladybug couldn't make herself move. _Move!_ She told herself. _Chase him! Go after him! Move! Move! Move!_ Her body no longer obeyed her. Instead she stood watching Chat leave her. She was watching him walk out of her life and there was nothing she could do to stop him.

"Chat, please don't do this. Please." He shook his head.

Chat Noir wrapped one arm around his torso and swept into a low bow. She couldn't see his face as he said goodbye to her. And when he was gone only the memory of his words rang through her ears. It was so quiet and distant that she could have sworn it was spoken by a ghost.

"It's been my pleasure, My Lady."

. . .


	7. Chapter 7: Adrien

**Hey guys sorry this chapter is so late! I posted the last two chapters at the same time so there was a lot of editing. But anyway, we've come to the end of our story and I just wanted to thank you for taking time to read this and leave feedback, it really means a lot to me (the last chapter is pretty short but hopefully the ending is good enough). The end might seem a little rushed so sorry about that but I didn't want to drag it out longer than it needed to be. Thanks for reading!**

 **Chapter VII: Adrien**

Chat had a promise to himself earlier that night: if—when he told Ladybug about his plan—he felt anything, anything at all like regret, then he would give up on Hawkmoths idea. So as he walked away from her for the last time, and his heart felt just as empty as it had the past couple of weeks, he knew he had his answer. Adrien was done being Chat Noir. And he didn't think anything at this point could make him change his mind.

When he got home, Adrien went straight to his room. He shut the door behind him and leaned his back against it for a few moments before he made his way over to his bed. Plagg had been strangely quiet since he had transformed back to himself, but Adrien could feel that the Kwami had some things to say.

"Plagg…" he started.

"What are you thinking?" Plagg shouted. "You can't give away your miraculous. It was given to you for a reason!"

"And what reason was that?" Adrien snapped. "I'm not a hero, and I never will be. Chat Noir is finished. I'm done."

"You can't be! It's destiny… you can't just run away when things get hard!" Adrien pulled off his ring and set it beside him.

"Watch me."

Plagg was gone, and Adrien was alone for now. He turned his phone on and then he turned it off again. He was restless. Hawkmoth had said to meet him in the park at midnight with an answer. And though Adrien already had his answer, he had no way to contact the villain, and had no choice but to wait for the clock to strike twelve.

For the next couple of hours Adrien wandered his room, picking up books and setting them down again, turning on his computer and staring blankly at the screen. When he had tried to do homework, his brain couldn't focus long enough for him to remember the last sentence he had read. Finally, he gave up and laid idly on his bed, waiting for time to move faster.

He looked at all the unread messages on his phone, and when he saw that none of them were from Marinette, he left them unread and unreplied. Adrien knew he had been acting strangely that last few weeks but he didn't have a good enough explanation to give Nino or anyone else, so he decided to just leave things as they were. He would sort it out later. It would all be over soon. Soon, he would just be Adrien Agreste, and he hoped that would be good enough.

Natalie knocked on his door sometime in the late afternoon. She made her way in cautiously, keeping her eyes glued in him like she was afraid he would run away if she didn't keep watch. He let her sit next to him but didn't say anything, or look at her. He had nothing against Natalie, but there was nothing she could do for him, so he didn't see the point in entertaining the idea of trying to tell her how he felt.

"Adrien," she finally spoke, "I've noticed you've been sneaking out a lot lately. And you've been very distant. Is there anything you want to talk about?"

"No." He looked at his hands and noticed how bare they looked without that little silver ring—how freeing they felt without the weight. Natalie shifted closer.

"It's not good to keep it all inside," she told him. "I really think you should talk about it."

"With you? Why? You're not my mom." The words were out of his mouth before he even realized what he had said. And after he had said it Adrien looked up at Natalie and saw the hurt on her face. And immediately he felt bad. He bit his lower lip as he looked away from her again.

"Adrien," her voice was soft, "I know I'm not your mother. And I never will be. But whatever is going on with you…I want to know." Then she did something she had never done before. She hugged him.

She hugged him so close and so tight that he could hear her heartbeat, and he guessed that she could probably hear his too. Adrien froze for a moment, then all at once the strength drained from him and he hugged her back. He cried into her shoulder and clutched at her jacket. Natalie had never felt so comforting before. He had never wanted to hug someone more. He didn't even realize how much he needed it until she had wrapped her arms around him. When Adrien had finally calmed down, he sniffed back his tears and looked up at her, eyes red and puffy.

"You really want to know?"

She nodded. "Whatever it is, I'm ready to listen."

"I did something really bad," Adrien tried to explain. "I tried to be something I wasn't and I just ended up screwing everything up. And now, the only way to fix it is to do exactly what I was trying to prevent from happening in the first place. So in the end…it was all for nothing."

"Adrien…"

"Natalie!" He cried. "Please, tell me what to do. Tell me what to do, please. Please." He shut his eyes tight and rubbed them raw with his hands. Natalie's hands closed around his and she pulled them away from his eyes.

"I can't tell you what to do. You'll have to figure that out for yourself," she let a small smile slip. "But I know you. And I know, whatever you did, it can't be as bad as you think. Whatever you do, I know you'll make the right decision. Just trust yourself. And trust the people around you. I told you once before that you're not alone. You don't have to do everything by yourself. You can ask for help."

"But, what can you do to help?" He asked quietly.

"Maybe nothing. But at least you won't have to carry the burden alone." She hugged him again, and whispered in his ear, "I know you can do it. Whatever it is." Then she stood and headed for the door. Adrien felt cold without her arms around him, a shiver ran down his back.

"Thank you, Natalie," he said. She looked over her shoulder.

"You're a good kid, Adrien. A really good kid," then before she left the room she said in a quieter voice, "And I love you like a son." Had he not been paying so much attention just then he might have missed it. But he was sure, sure that he had heard her say that she loved him. And he was sure that that was the nicest thing anyone could have ever said to him then; and it was exactly what he needed to hear.

He stayed in his room the rest of the evening, but he felt like a huge weight had been lifted off him. As the clock got closer to twelve his heart beat faster until he was sure that it would break out of his ribs and fall to the floor. At eleven forty five, Adrien put his ring back on and headed for the front door. Natalie was waiting.

"This is the last time," he told her. "I promise." She sighed and stepped out of his way reluctantly. He smiled.

Once he was a block or so from his house, and close to the park, he took a deep breath. "One last time. Claws out." Chat Noir felt more like a curse than a gift this time when he transformed. But he knew he only had to bear it for a few more minutes, and then it would no longer be his problem.

The park was cloaked in darkness, and there was no one around. Chat wrapped his arms around his torso to shield himself from the chill in the air. He walked circles to keep his legs warm, and felt the cold in his lungs as he stayed out waiting. Waiting and waiting and waiting. He was sure it was well past midnight by the time Hawkmoth finally showed. Chat couldn't make out his face in the shade of moonlight, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know what Hawkmoth looked like.

"Chat Noir," he was tall, Chat was looking up at him. And his voice was deep in a familiar way. This is who we've been fighting?

"Okay," Chat stood up a little straighter. "I've decided to give you my miraculous." Hawkmoth laughed.

"Well that makes things much easier," he said. "You never really had a choice, though. I would have taken your miraculous one way or another, and I never dreamed you'd show up in person like this." His laugh again. When he took a step forward, Chat instinctively took one back. "I guess you really are just a child."

"Just take it already, okay?" Chats voice was shaking.

"Patience. I still need one more thing," Hawkmoth smirked. "Ladybug."

"What? I'm giving you my miraculous," He sounded more like he was pleading now, "Isn't that enough? Besides, there's no way Ladybug would meet you or give up her miraculous. You'll never get her."

"Silly little boy," Hawkmoth grabbed his arm. "I have some very high quality bait." Chat no longer cared about the deal, he was too scared. He yanked his arm away from the villain and stumbled backward. This was the first time Chat felt truly afraid. Terror that went bone deep. This was the first time he realized just how dangerous the person standing in front of him was. And Chat realized just how alone he was without Ladybug at his side.

"Get away from me!" His legs fumbled as they tried desperately to run, to get away. He wanted to run so far and so fast but he just couldn't. Hawkmoth was on him in seconds. Chat fell to the ground with a hard thud, and Hawkmoth had strong hands around him just as quickly. "You're evil. Why did I ever trust you? Put me down…let me go."

"Stupid little boy," his voice was cold. "You shouldn't have run." Something heavy slammed into the side of his head, and Chat could hear ringing in his ears. Then everything went black.…

…when Chat finally came to, he had chains around his wrists. His mouth tasted like blood, and when he licked his lips he found his bottom lip had been split open. The chains rattled as he tried to move around. The room was dark, there was only one window. Hawkmoth stood in the center, his back to Chat. It hurt to swallow, and when Chat tried to move closer to the center the chains around his wrists pulled him back.

"Patience," Hawkmoth said, "She'll be here soon."

"She won't come," Chat snarled. "Ladybug isn't stupid. She knows it's a trap."

"Yes, she knows it's a trap," Hawkmoth turned to face him, "But she will still come. She will still try to save you. After all, you're partners."

"No…we're not." Chat looked down. "She doesn't want me as a partner. Not anymore."

"You really are a child," Hawkmoth said. "You think bonds break that easily? She will come. And then I will have both of your miraculous. Just you wait and see, boy. Just you wait. I've already won."

Chat sat quietly. His head was pounding as he tried to think of a way to get of here. He knew Hawkmoth was right, he knew Ladybug would come. But still he hoped. He hoped that she would win, even though he knew that she wouldn't. The fact was that she wasn't strong enough. He doubted that even together they would be strong enough to defeat the villain. It was over. And they had lost.

The window shattered with a loud crash and Ladybug ran to his side. It's over.

"Chat," she ripped at his chains. "Are you okay? I'm here."

"You need to leave," he pushed her away. "You have to go."

"No," her eyes pierced into his. "I won't leave you. I'm here to save you, and that's what I'm going to do. No matter what." Chat could feel tears in his eyes.

"You need to leave, before it's too late."

"No."

"Why are you here? Why would you come for me? Why?" He shouted at her. "Tell me! Why would you try to rescue me? After all I did. Why!"

"Because you called me 'M'lady'!" She cried. "It's because you called me by that name. That means there is some of you left inside there. And I'm going to save you. So just sit tight, Kitty. I'm here now." Chats eyes widened as he watched her stand above him.

She turned to Hawkmoth. He lifted his chin and looked smugly down at her. Ladybug made a "tsk" noise with her mouth and charged at him. He dodged most of her attacks, throwing insults at her with every step. She threw her yoyo at him, landing a hit to the side of his head. Using Hawkmoths surprise to her advantage, Ladybug grabbed his staff and rushed back to Chats side.

"Let's get these chains off."

"You can't save me!" Chat yelled at her. She frowned at him, slamming the staff into the metal. With a clang they fell from his wrists. She pulled him to his feet.

"I'm a hero," she said. "Saving people is what I do. And you know what? I'm gonna need your help. So are you with me?" Chat bit his lip, rubbing his wrists and looking at the ground. Ladybug grabbed him and looked into his eyes.

"We can't win," he shook his head.

"Yes we can," Ladybug looked forward. "We just have to believe we can."

Something clicked then, and everything came rushing back. His feelings for her, his memories of their relationship. Everything. He didn't know how, but somehow she had brought him back. Somehow her courage had been shared with him, and suddenly he wanted to be Chat Noir again. Somehow she had given him his strength back, at least for now. And even if it was only for a little bit, he was going to help. Even if he knew they were going to lose.

Chat nodded at her. She smiled.

"Alright then. Let's do this."

Hawkmoth was closer than he expected by the time Chat had mentally joined the battle. He barely had time to block the punch and jump back from the next one. Ladybug couldn't defend with one arm, and she dropped the staff when she threw up her arms to block. Hawkmoth had his staff back, and the real battle had begun. Two on one and the odds were still against them. Still, Ladybug gave it her all. And Chat would too.

"It's useless," Hawkmoth laughed. "I've already won. Your miraculous will be mine."

"We've been through this before," Ladybug said. "You will never have them. I won't ever let you get your hands on them!"

"Try and stop me."

The three were locked in battle. Hawkmoth could fend off both heroes with minimal effort, his staff could hold one at bay while he reached for the other one. Chat and Ladybug hadn't exactly been able to plan a strategy, and their team work was more than rusty. But still, they held their own.

Ladybug took a hard blow to the stomach and was pushed back a few feet. Chat swung at Hawkmoth, but was knocked off balance as the villain swiped the staff under his feet. He caught Chat by the wrist and twisted hard until they both heard a crack. Chat cried out in pain.

"This could have been avoided if you had just cooperated," Hawkmoth said, stabbing his staff into Chats side, drawing blood. Chat was hit in side of the head again and saw stars. Hawkmoth still had a grip on his wrist and no matter how hard he struggled, Chat couldn't get free. Ladybug came up behind villain and landed a kick to his side.

Hawkmoth whirled around to face her.

"Let him go!" She demanded. "Let go of him!"

Hawkmoth dropped Chat to floor, driving his staff into the wound in his side, deepening the cut. Chat coughed up blood, and could feel more spilling out from his side. More than he could take.

"Stay down boy," he heard Hawkmoth say. "I'll finish this fast."

Chat brought his hand to his side in an attempt to stop the blood, but it was no use. Breathing hurt, and his wrist couldn't support him enough to allow him to prop himself up on it. Ladybug. You have to help Ladybug. She came here for you. Get up and help her! C'mon, just this one time. Chat shook the pain and got to his feet. He would have time to heal later. Right now, he had a job to do.

"Cataclysm."

He lunged at Hawkmoth, and was inches from him when the villain turned and threw Ladybug in front of him. Chat twisted in midair to avoid hitting her, landing on his shoulder. His cataclysm ended up hitting the floor instead of her (thankfully). Hawkmoth fell through the floor and ran. Ladybug was ready to jump down the hole and go after him.

"Chat," she shouted. "We have to go! C'mon. Chat?..."

He had barely any energy left in him, and a pool of blood had spread out around him. She sank to her knees next to him, her hands shaking and her lips moving without sound.

"Go… after him…" Chat whispered.

"Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no. Chat! We have to get you help." Ladybug lifted his head. "Chat I promised to save you. You come first." She lifted him onto her back. He winced at the pain in his side. Ladybug jumped back through the window and out onto the streets. "We need a doctor."

"No hospitals," he said weakly.

"Chat this is no time to be stubborn," she scolded.

He slipped in and out of consciousness on the way to the Emergency room. He couldn't keep time straight, and eventually he forgot what he had been doing that had gotten him so injured. Suddenly the light around him was too much, too blinding.

Ladybug busted through the hospital doors.

"I need help!" She cried, laying Chat down on the floor, "Please. Help him."

Doctors rushed over to them, closing around the two in a circle. They knelt down and shined a light in Chats eyes, their words were muffled and far away. They lifted him onto a moving bed and poked at his injuries. He could hear Ladybug crying from somewhere behind him.

"Do something!" She screamed at them. "Save him!"

"I can't do anything with this suit on," the doctor was saying. Chat could barely keep his eyes open. Ladybug looked down at him, up at the doctor, and then back at him again.

"You have to promise," she said to the doctor. "I can get his suit off, but you can't tell anyone. Promise."

"Okay," the doctor said. Chat could feel his heart slowing down, and the panic spreading through his body.

"No…" he said quietly.

Ladybug took his hand in hers, leaning in close so that he could feel the heat of her breath. "I know I'm breaking my own word, but you're just gonna have to trust me. I'm doing this to save you. It's for your own good, okay, kitty? So just hang in there." He heard Ladybug take a deep breath.

And then she pulled off his ring.

. . .


	8. Chapter 8: Marinette (Final)

**Chapter VIII: Marinette (final)**

Ladybug sat by the edge of his bed. She couldn't take her eyes off of his face. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Adrien Agreste was Chat Noir. He had been her partner all along and she had never known. She thought back to the day where she had almost revealed her identity to him, she blushed. Once she had finally gotten over the embarrassment that came with knowing the truth about Chat, all her worry flooded back to her.

She brought her hand close to him and brushed the tops of his fingers gently. Then, she reached over and touched his soft hair, it fell flimsily as she brushed it. Adrien's breathing was shallow and Ladybug held her breath, as if she breathed too deeply there wouldn't be enough air left in the room for him.

"Please be okay," Ladybug said in a hushed voice.

When exhaustion had finally caught up with her, she leaned on the bed, laid her head on her arms and closed her eyes, letting sleep take her. She didn't dream, her mind was too tired for dreaming. And by the time she woke up, the sun was well gone and no more light shown through the window. The heart monitor kept its beat, steady.

Ladybug stared at him long and hard. Her eyes carrying across every inch of his face. She looked at his golden hair and his closed eyes and his resting lips, and she felt her heart wrench. She wanted him to wake up. Oh, how she wanted him to wake up. To and look at her and call her "My Lady". She wanted him to look at her and give her his smile. And she had so many things she wanted to say to him that she wasn't sure she knew where to begin.

Adrien stirred in his sleep, and with a long breath his eyes fluttered open. They were bright green even with the limited light in the room. His hand searched for her as he sat up.

"Ladybug?" He said sleepily. "Is that you?"

"Yes, I'm here," she leaned forward.

"Could you turn on a light?"

She went to the lamp aside his bed and flicked it on. Light poured into the room, springing to life. Adrien rubbed his eyes and looked at her. He looked at her for a long time and didn't say anything. For a moment she forgot that he didn't know who she was, to him, all he knew was Ladybug.

"Chat—Adrien. I don't… what am I supposed to call you now?" She asked, sitting back down. Adrien looked down.

"Guess the cat's out to the bag, huh?" He laughed.

"It would seem so, kitty," she laughed with him.

Ladybug looked down at her hands then. She wasn't sure what to do next. Did things go back to normal? Could they ever? She was so unsure of her feelings right now that she didn't trust herself to speak. Chat had feelings for Ladybug, so did Adrien feel the same? What would he think of her when he found out who she was? She sighed. _I wish I could do it over again,_ she thought, _I wish I could be a better partner for him_.

"Chat…Adrien," Ladybug said, "I know that after all I did to you, I mean, I understand if you can't forgive me. But just tell me one thing?" He looked up at her.

"What is it, My Lady?"

"Do you still love me?" She blushed as she asked, afraid of what his answer might be.

There was a pause. His expression was blank for a long while, and with every passing second her heart grew heavier. What if his feelings for her were truly gone? What if she never got her Chat back? The thought was too much to bare. Ladybug brought her hands to her eyes and wiped the tears from them. Then she looked back at the hospital bed. Adrien looked at her, a flirtatious smirk spread across his face.

"What do you think, My Lady?" Surprised at first, she didn't know how to respond. Then she found the words. The perfect words to describe what she was feeling, and they rolled off her tongue like they were meant to be there.

"I love you too, Kitty." She didn't have to hide it anymore, she knew. And she wanted him to know too. He gave her a lazy smile and she just couldn't resist. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. And although she'd done it a thousand times, it was different somehow; time was stopping between them. It was, for that one moment, the most perfect thing in her whole life.

"I'm so drugged up right now I probably won't remember any of this by tomorrow, you know." He laughed, she laughed too.

"I know." She leaned in closer. "And that's why I can do this…" then she kissed him. A real, true kiss. He didn't do anything at first but then he was kissing her back and it felt so perfect that she didn't know how she could have ever lived without this feeling.

"My lady!" Adrien said happily. She smiled.

"One more thing," she blushed. "I think it's only fair that you know my secret identity too, so, try not to be too disappointed, okay?" She transformed back into Marinette, hesitating slightly before looking back up at Adrien.

His expression was nothing except pure shock. Hisyes were scanning over her over and over and over again, as if he thought it were a dream and he were still asleep. His mouth dropped open and then closed again, he seemed a complete loss for words. Marinette looked down again, fidgeting under his gaze. Then he burst out laughing and all her fear came crawling back.

"How could I be disappointed!" Adrien threw his arms in the air. "My Lady is my princess. What could be better than that? But you know, it's not really fair. I already told you...I probably won't remember May of this by tomorrow. So you can't really call it even…" he tapped his chin as if in deep thought, then shrugged. "I guess you'll have to make it up to me."

"Of course," by this time, Mari was laughing too—laughing at how silly she had been, and how easy things were from the start. It had always been Chat. And Chat had always been Adrien. So in the end, all her worrying had been for naught.

"How ever will you make it up to me?"

"Let's start with this," she leaned in and kissed him again for what would only be the first of millions.

. . .

The next day at school, Marinette had no trouble walking right up to Adrien and starting a conversation. It took him a little by surprise at first but he didn't seem too thrown by it, and soon they were laughing like old friends; which she supposed they were.

"You're not stuttering today," Adrien said.

"You almost sound disappointed," she glanced sideways at him. He shrugged.

"I always thought it was kinda cute." He made a pouty face and then laughed.

 _This is easy,_ Marinette realized. _How come I never did this before?_ Everything was different, everything had changed. And that scared her. But what scared her more was how close she had come to never finding this feeling. How close she had come to never finding what seemed to be her other half. So maybe change scared her a little bit, but if it felt like this, then she didn't have room to care.

During class Adrien would turn around to give her a smile or make a silly face or roll his eyes at something the teacher had said. And every time he turned around Marinette would laugh until her sides hurt, trying her best to conceal it. And she had never had more fun in her life. Alya gave her a sly smile at the end of class and didn't wait at the door. Instead, Adrien was the one waiting.

"See you tomorrow, Marinette," he said. "Maybe we could hang out again on the weekend?"

"Yeah, that'd be fun," she smiled wide. "See ya'!" She waved goodbye and started off home.

She walked faster than usual, a skip in her step and a floating feeling in her chest. Marinette was so happy she could barely contain it. She just wanted to scream about it to everyone. She had so much energy that she didn't know what to do with it. Even her parents noticed a change.

"Something good at school today?" Her dad asked.

"Nothing in particular," Mari shook her head. "I'm just happy. Really, really happy." That made them smile.

After dinner, she went up to her room. It was a little disheartening that she didn't have time to patrol tonight, but she was hopeful Chat would still come to her window, like he did most nights lately. She scribbled on her homework and doodled some new designs. She wondered if Adrien would try some out for her, now that they were close enough friends.

Hours past dark, just as she had expected, and soft thump came from above her room. She jumped up quickly and raced to the balcony. Her heart was racing, she was sure it had never beat this fast in her entire life. Her sudden movement onto the balcony seems to startle him, but he barely let it show through all his grinning.

"Chat."

"Princess," he bowed low. "How is my purr-fect girl doing tonight? Are you in need of a knight in shining armor?"

"How about a cat in black?" She smiled. "It's so nice to see you, Chat. I was afraid you might not come tonight, I thought maybe you'd be too busy."

"Too busy for you, princess? Never," he looked offended that she'd even bring such a thing up. Marinette shook her head and laughed, moving over to sit on the railing next to him.

Chat turned towards her, his smile gone and his face completely serious. He looked deep into her eyes, gazing straight into her soul. Marinette felt a twinge of fear again. Everything was different now. Nothing was the same, and it would never be like it was before. But she realized, that maybe that was okay. Finally Chat spoke.

"Princess, do you love me?" His head tilted.

She smirked, "What do you think?" He was quiet for a moment. Then he smiled and nuzzled himself next to her.

"I love you too," he said. Marinette smiled.

"I know, kitty," she whispered, "I know."


End file.
